Abstract
Abstract During seed germination there is production of reactive oxygen species, which, in a controlled way, are important to cell signaling and protection against pathogens, but, in excess, impair germination. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the action of different compounds on antioxidant mechanisms and enzymatic activation in cabbage seeds. Compounds like kojic acid, thymol and tyrosol were used to imbibe the cabbage seeds together with distilled water, and a control treatment without imbibition was used as well, with subsequent assessment by means of germination test, endosperm rupture, vigor, radicle protrusion, and assessment of seedling biochemical analyses by the activity of enzymes ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase and α-amylase. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and to the LSD means comparison test. Seeds treated with tyrosol presented higher results on the rupture of the endosperm, germination and vigor, and root development increased with use antioxidants. For the activity of antioxidant enzymes in seedlings, only kojic acid showed increase in the superoxide dismutase activity. There was also a reduction in the catalase activity with the use of thymol and tyrosol compounds compared to dry-seed assessments. After tyrosol treatment, ascorbate peroxidase enzyme was not detected, and water-imbibed seeds showed higher α-amylase activity. The use of antioxidant compounds has beneficial effects on cabbage seeds, and soaking with tyrosol led to better physiological quality, with activation of antioxidant defense mechanisms during germination.
Highlights
Seed germination naturally promotes the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Kumar et al 2015), a response similar to that triggered by biotic and abiotic stresses (Gill & Tuteja 2010).ROS at low concentrations play a vital role in cell signaling, which supports and makes germination viable, in addition to having a protective effect against pathogens
Among the few studies on the effects of exogenous application of antioxidant compounds on seeds, it has been observed that folic acid and ascorbic acid applied at concentrations of 0 to 500 μM improve the vigor of pea seeds, reflected in agronomical and biochemical responses, through the stimulation of the antioxidant response (Burguieres et al 2007), and the use of tyrosol and kojic acid compounds protects against oxidative stress damage and promotes benefits to seeds metabolism (Macedo et al 2018)
The use of different antioxidant compounds had a significant effect on the germination and vigor of the cabbage seeds (Fig. 1a-b)
Summary
Seed germination naturally promotes the synthesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Kumar et al 2015), a response similar to that triggered by biotic and abiotic stresses (Gill & Tuteja 2010).ROS at low concentrations play a vital role in cell signaling, which supports and makes germination viable, in addition to having a protective effect against pathogens. In excess, ROS accumulation impairs germination due to oxidative damage in proteins, lipids and deoxyribonucleic acid (Awasthi et al 2017; Kumar et al 2015), which, inevitably, promotes the activation of the vegetal defense system, synthetizing antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), all responsible for ROS elimination or reduction (Xiong et al 2018; Beyaz et al 2017). The application of exogenous compounds with antioxidant action can protect seeds against ROS overproduction; they stimulate their resilience, which will guarantee quality in germination due to the production of enzymes that sequester or degrade free radicals (Ratnam et al 2006; Serkedjieva 2011). Among the few studies on the effects of exogenous application of antioxidant compounds on seeds, it has been observed that folic acid and ascorbic acid applied at concentrations of 0 to 500 μM improve the vigor of pea seeds, reflected in agronomical and biochemical responses, through the stimulation of the antioxidant response (Burguieres et al 2007), and the use of tyrosol and kojic acid compounds protects against oxidative stress damage and promotes benefits to seeds metabolism (Macedo et al 2018)
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