Open Access

ARTICLE

Influences of ascorbic acid and gibberellic acid in alleviating effects of salinity in Petunia under in vitro

by Krupa-Małkiewicz M, B Smolik, M Sędzik

1 Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Słowackiego str., 71-434 Szczecin, Poland.
2 Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Słowackiego str., 71-434 Szczecin, Poland.

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2019, 88(1), 15-23. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2019.04670

Abstract

Salinity is one of the abiotic stresses that limits the growth and productivity of many crops. A possible survival strategy for plant under saline conditions is to use compounds that could minimize the harmful effects of salt stress on the plant development. The objective of the presented study was to investigate the effect of exogenous ascorbic acid (ASA) with or without gibberellic acid (GA3) on key growth and biochemical parameters in two petunia cultivars ‘Prism Rose’ and ‘Prism White’ under saline (150 mM NaCl) and non-saline in vitro condition. Nodal cutting with an axillary buds were used as explants. Application of 1 mM ascorbic acid with or without 0.05 mM gibberellic acid into the MS medium stimulated the length of shoots and the number of new shoots of ‘Prism Rose’; whereas, it decreased the root length and the number of roots of both ‘Prism Rose’ and ‘Prism White’ under non-saline condition. The addition of ascorbic acid with or without gibberellic acid into the MS medium under saline condition, increased the length of plants and the number of new shoots, but did not affect their root number and length. NaCl treatments increased the proline content and lipid peroxidation which was indicated by the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA). The study revealed a correlation between chlorophylls a and b content and the leaf pigmentation intensity – parameter a*. Addition of 1 mM ascorbic acid with 0.05 mM gibberellic acid into the MS medium plays a protective role in salinity tolerance by improving the shoot growth and the development as well as increasing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes and other antioxidant substances.

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