Oxidative damages of maize seedlings caused by exposure to a combination of potassium deficiency and salt stress

Abstract

Soil salinity results in nutrient imbalances and potassium deficiency. However, very little work has been done on the damages of maize caused by exposure to a combination of potassium deficiency and salt-stress. Thus the influences of the combined stresses on the antioxidative defense system in maize seedlings were investigated. It was found that the growth of maize seedlings cultivated in a combination of potassium deficiency and salt stress was significantly inhibited, the compatible solute accumulation, permeability of plasma membrane, malondialdehyde as a degradation product of lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species such as superoxide radicals, hydrogen peroxide were higher than those of the individual potassium deficiency or salt-stress as expected. However, the antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11), and antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and glutathione were lower than those of the individual potassium deficiency or salt-stress. Taken together, salt stress impairs K nutrition of maize seedlings, K deficiency at the cellular level might be a contributory factor to salt-induced oxidative stress and related cell damage.