Increasing Salt Tolerance and Antioxidant Activity in Artemisia aucheri by H2O2-Priming

Recent studies have introduced seed priming with H2O2 as an effective technique to alleviate abiotic stresses in plants. In the current study, accomplished at Faculty of Sciences, Shahrekord University, seeds of medicinal plant Artemisia aucheri were primed with H2O2 (0, 10, 50, 90 and 140 µM) and grown under salt stress (0 and 150 mM NaCl) for one month. Results showed a decrease in H2O2 and malonyldialdehyde concentrations by H2O2 priming leading to diminish lipid peroxidation at the cellular level. Moreover, seed priming with H2O2 (particularly at 90 µM) increased biomass, total water content, chlorophyll (a+b) and carotenoids concentrations, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity in the plants from primed seeds under both normal and saline conditions. Higher activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were observed in the primed A. aucheri with 90 µM H2O2, while the activity of ascorbate peroxidase was at the maximum level at 140 µM H2O2 priming condition. Additionally, hydroxyl and super oxide radicals scavenging activities were at the maximum level in the plants from primed seeds with 90 µM H2O2. Data revealed that H2O2 priming can induce salt tolerance in A. aucheri plants by adjusting physiological and metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, ROS scavenging and detoxification and brings about an improved growth and development in this species. Furthermore, H2O2 priming at 90 µM augmented antioxidant activity and reducing power in A. aucheri suggesting an increase in its medicinal properties.