¬Improvement in drought tolerance of dragonhead, Dracocephalum moldavica L. under the sodium nitroprusside effects on polyethylene glycol
الموضوعات : Research On Crop EcophysiologyAHMAD REZA GOLPARVAR 1 , Amin Hadipanah 2
1 - Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
2 - Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
الکلمات المفتاحية: Keywords: Antioxidant enzymes, Dracocephalum moldavica L., Drought stress, Nitric oxide (NO), Polyethylene glycol (PEG), Sodium nitroprusside (SNP). ,
ملخص المقالة :
ABSTRACT Dracocephalum moldavica L. (Lamiaceae), an annual herb native to central Asia and naturalized in parts of Europe. The aerial parts and volatile constitutes of this plant are widely utilized for their medicinal and aromatic properties. This study investigates the regeneration of D. moldavica under in vitro drought stress induced by varying concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) (0%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) and evaluates the mitigating effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide donor. SNP treatments (0, 100, and 200 μM) were incorporated into Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium to assess their impact on morpho-physiological traits under PEG-induced drought conditions. After four weeks of cultivation, several growth parameters were measured, including the number and length of shoots, number of leaves, root characteristics, and survival rates. Results revealed that 10% PEG exhibited the least adverse impact on morphological traits compared to higher PEG concentrations, suggesting this level as optimal for inducing drought stress without excessive damage. SNP at 100 μM significantly improved morphological and physiological parameters compared to the untreated control and 200 μM SNP. The application of 100 μM SNP enhanced shoot and root growth, increased antioxidant enzyme activities, and reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation, thus mitigating oxidative stress. These findings highlight the potential of SNP to alleviate drought-induced damage in D. moldavica, particularly at 100 μM, which proved to be the most effective concentration for improving plant growth and resilience. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing the cultivation of drought-tolerant medicinal plants in arid and semi-arid regions, with implications for enhancing essential oil yields under water-deficit conditions.
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