Lycopersicon esculentum under low temperature stress: an approach toward enhanced antioxidants and yield

Tanveer Alam Khan, Qazi Fariduddin, Mohammad Yusuf

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Brassinosteroids (BRs) have been implicated to overcome various abiotic stresses, and low temperature stress poses a serious threat to productivity of various horticultural crops like tomato. Therefore, a study was conducted to unravel the possible role of BRs in conferring alleviation to low temperature stress in Lycopersicon esculentum. Twenty-day-old seedlings of tomato var. S-22 (chilling tolerant) and PKM-1 (chilling sensitive) were sown in earthen pots, and at 40 days stage of growth, plants were exposed to varied levels of low temperatures (10/3, 12/7, 20/14, or 25/18 °C) for 24 h in a growth chamber. At 50 days stage of growth, the foliage of plants were sprayed with 0 or 10−8 M of BRs (28-homobrassinolide or 24-epibrassinolide), and 60-day-old plants were harvested to assess various physiological and biochemical parameters. Low temperatures induced a significant reduction in growth traits, chlorophyll content, and rate of photosynthesis in both the varieties differentially. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase) and leaf proline content also increased substantially in both the varieties with decreasing temperature. On the other hand, treatment of BRs under stress and stress-free conditions significantly increased the aforesaid growth traits and biochemical parameters. Moreover, BRs further accelerated the antioxidative enzymes and proline content, which were already enhanced by the low temperature stress. Out of the two analogues of BRs tested, 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) was found more effective for both the varieties of tomato. EBL was found more potent stress alleviator against low temperature in both varieties of tomato.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)14178-14188
Number of pages11
JournalEnvironmental Science and Pollution Research
Volume22
Issue number18
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 10 2015
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Brassinosteroids
  • Low temperature
  • Lycopene
  • Lycopersicon esculentum
  • Photosynthesis and proline

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Lycopersicon esculentum under low temperature stress: an approach toward enhanced antioxidants and yield'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this