Effect of exogenous 5-aminolevulinic acid on seed germination and seedlings physiological characteristics of Coptis chinensis under NaCl stress / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To find get the method of alleviating salinity damage to Coptis chinensis under NaCl stress by studying the seed generation and seedling physiological nature. Methods: Several physiological indexes such as germination vigor, germination rate, germination index, and vigor parameters of C. chinensis were measured after treated by 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) under salt stress (NaCl with the concentration of 100 mmol∙L-1 NaCl). And other parameters such as memberane permeability, H2O2 content, production rate of superoxide anion, contents of soluble surge, soluble protein, free proline, and malondialdehyde (MDA), and activities of superoxide (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were also measured. Results: The seed germination indexes of C. chinensis under NaCl stress have an obvious inhibition. But after the treatment of ALA, germination indexes were all increased. The results also showed that the treatment of exogenous ALA obviously increased the contents of soluble sugars, free proline, and soluble protein, decreased the contents of MDA, H2O2, and production rate of superoxide anion. Meanwhile, the results also indicated that ALA could improve the activities of SOD, POD, CAT, and APX. Conclusion: Exogenous ALA with appropriate concentration could significantly alleviate the damages to the seeds and seedlings of C. chinensis under NaCl stress and promote the salt resistance of the seeds and seedlings through improving the germination indexes and activities of anti-oxidase, decreasing the memberane permeability, and so on.