Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil enhances salt stress tolerance of durum wheat seedlings through ROS detoxification and stimulation of antioxidant defense

• Published in: Protoplasma 2024-11, Vol.261 (6), p.1207-1220
• Main Authors: Ben Saad, Rania, Ben Romdhane, Walid, Wiszniewska, Alina, Baazaoui, Narjes, Taieb Bouteraa, Mohamed, Chouaibi, Yosra, Alfaifi, Mohammad Y., Kačániová, Miroslava, Čmiková, Natália, Ben Hsouna, Anis, Garzoli, Stefania
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abiotic stress; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Crop production; Cultivars; Detoxification; Essential oils; Food plants; Food security; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - drug effects; Germination - drug effects; Life Sciences; Oils & fats; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Oils, Volatile - metabolism; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Original; Original Article; Oxidative stress; Plant growth; Plant Sciences; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Rosmarinus - chemistry; Rosmarinus officinalis; Salinity; Salinity effects; Salinity tolerance; Salt Stress - drug effects; Salt Tolerance - drug effects; Seed germination; Seedlings; Seedlings - drug effects; Seedlings - growth & development; Sodium chloride; Triticum - drug effects; Triticum durum; Wheat; Zoology
• ISSN: 0033-183X; 1615-6102; 1615-6102
• DOI: 10.1007/s00709-024-01965-8

Salt-induced stress poses a significant barrier to agricultural productivity by impeding crop growth. Presently, environmentalists are dedicated to safeguarding food security by enhancing agricultural yields in challenging environments. Biostimulants play a crucial role in mitigating abiotic stresses in crop production, and among these, plant essential oils (EOs) stand out as organic substances with diverse biological effects on living organisms. Among the natural promoters of plant growth, Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil ( Ro EO) has gained considerable attention. Although the manifold effects of essential oils (EOs) on plant growth have been extensively demonstrated, their impact on salt stress tolerance in durum wheat seedlings remains unexplored. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the biostimulatory capabilities of Ro EO on the durum wheat cultivar “Mahmoudi.” The effects of three Ro EO concentrations (1, 2.5, and 5 ppm) on seed germination, growth establishment, and the induction of salt resistance under salinity conditions (150 mM NaCl) were tested. At 5 ppm, Ro EO enhanced seedlings’ tolerance to salinity by improving growth and reducing membrane deterioration and oxidative stress-induced damage. The expression profile analyses of seven stress-related genes ( TdNHX1 , TdSOS1 , TdSOD , TdCAT , TdGA20-ox1 , TdNRT2.1 , and TdGS ) using RT-qPCR showed enhancement of several important genes in durum wheat seedlings treated with 5 ppm Ro EO, even under control conditions, which may be related to salt stress tolerance. The results indicate that the application of Ro EO suggests a possible alternative strategy to increase salt tolerance in durum wheat seedlings towards better growth quality, thus increasing ROS scavenging and activation of antioxidant defense.