Exogenous 5-aminolevulinic acid pretreatment ameliorates oxidative stress triggered by low-temperature stress of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Solanum lycopersicum</Emphasis>

Low temperature is an important limiting factor in tomato production in early spring and winter. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) protects crops against varied abiotic stresses. However, the methodology to precisely use ALA to increase the cold tolerance in tomatoes is still not fully known. We therefore explored the effects of ALA concentration, application period, and dose on membrane lipid peroxidation, antioxidation, photosynthesis, and plant growth in different tomato cultivars (Zhongza No. 9, ZZ and Jinpeng No. 1, JP) at low-temperature stress. Results revealed that low temperature caused plants oxidative damage and growth inhibition in both ZZ and JP plants. The ROS (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion) accumulation and membrane lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde content and the relative electrical conductivity) were more remarkable in JP plants than ZZ plants under low temperature. The catalase (CAT) and ascorbate–glutathione cycle (AsA–GSH) induced by ALA reliably eliminated excessive ROS to maintain the redox balance in both tomato cultivars under low-temperature stress. In AsA–GSH cycle, AsA regeneration was mainly catalyzed by dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), from dehydroascorbate (DHA) to AsA and monodehydroascorbate (MDA) to AsA in ZZ plants, while AsA regeneration in JP plants was mostly catalyzed by DHAR, from DHA to AsA. The ALA optimum concentration was 25 mg L^?1. The tomato plants with five true leaves pretreated with 6 mL ALA were more effective than spraying after cold occurred. In conclusion, the two tomato varieties illustrated different capacities to bear low-temperature stress. And ZZ plants were more tolerant to low temperature than JP plants. Precise ALA pretreatment observably alleviated low temperature induced-damage via CAT and AsA–GSH cycle in both cultivars. The regeneration of AsA in AsA–GSH cycle may be more comprehensive in ZZ plants than JP plants, to better tolerate low-temperature stress.     

Exogenously applied ascorbic acid alleviates salt-induced oxidative stress in wheat

Although ascorbic acid (AsA) is one of the most important and abundantly occurring water soluble antioxidants in plants, relatively little is known about its role in counteracting the adverse effects of salt stress on plant growth. To address this issue that whether exogenous application of ascorbic acid (AsA) through rooting medium could alleviate the adverse effects of salt stress on wheat plants, a hydroponic experiment was conducted under glasshouse conditions using two wheat cultivars, S-24 (salt tolerant) and MH-97 (moderately salt sensitive). Plants of both cultivars were subjected to 0 or 150 mM NaCl solution supplemented with 0, 50, or 150 mg L⁻¹ AsA for 58 days. Imposition of salt stress reduced the growth of both wheat cultivars by causing reduction in photosynthesis, and endogenous AsA level, and enhancing accumulation of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ coupled with a decrease in K⁺ and Ca²⁺ in the leaves and roots of both cultivars thereby decreasing tissue K⁺/Na⁺ ratio. However, root applied AsA counteracted the adverse effects of salt stress on the growth of cv. S-24 only, particularly at 100 mg L⁻¹ AsA level. AsA-induced enhancement in growth of salt-stressed plants of S-24 was associated with enhanced endogenous AsA level and CAT activity, and higher photosynthetic capacity, and accumulation of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ in the leaves. Although root applied AsA did not improve the growth of salt-stressed plants of MH-97, it enhanced endogenous level of AsA, CAT activity, photosynthetic capacity, and leaf K⁺ and Ca²⁺. These findings led us to conclude that root applied AsA counteracts the adverse effects of salt stress on growth of wheat by improving photosynthetic capacity of wheat plants against salt-induced oxidative stress and maintaining ion homeostasis, however, these effects were cultivar specific.     

低温胁迫下钼对冬小麦抗氧化防御系统及膜脂过氧化的影响

研究了低温（0～5℃）胁迫下钼对冬小麦抗氧化系统和膜脂过氧化的影响。结果表明,低温胁迫下施钼植株电解质渗漏率和丙二醛含量显著降低。施用钼肥提高了冬小麦叶片中抗氧化酶类如超氧化物歧化酶（SOD,EC1．15．1．1）、过氧化物酶（POX,EC1．11．1．7）和过氧化氢酶（CAT,ECl．11．1．6）的活性。低温胁迫下施钼对抗氧化酶（SOD、POX和CAT）活性提高幅度比常温下高。不论常温还是低温下,施铝均提高了冬小麦叶片中抗坏血酸和脯氨酸含量,低温胁迫下提高幅度更大。常温下缺钼和施钼处理后,叶片中类胡萝卜素含量差异不显著;低温下施钼后,冬小麦叶片类胡萝卜素含量显著增加。因此,低温胁迫下施钼植株活性氧清除能力增强、细胞膜伤害减轻可能是冬小麦抗寒力提高的原因之一。     

The effects of herbicides, applied atone and in sequence, on the control of wild-oats (Avena fatua) and broad-leaved weeds, and on yield of winter wheat

Experiments were done to examine the effects of controlling wild-oats and autumn-germinating broad-leaved weeds in winter wheat, early in winter or late in spring. The herbicides used were barban (winter), chlortoluron or isoproturon (winter), and benzoylprop-ethyl, at the recommended doses and at half doses. Sequential treatments of two herbicides at half doses were also examined. All treatments were given a routine broad-leaved herbicide treatment in spring. Yields of wheat were influenced more by the time of weed removal than by the degree of control achieved. Grain yields at three sites with dense autumn broad-leaved weed populations were greatest following the use of chlortoluron or isoproturon. At three other sites with moderate to dense wild-oat populations (60 to 240 plants/m¹), the use of barban at the crop three-leaf stage gave larger yields than benzoylprop-ethyl in late spring at the early stem elongation stage of the crop. Seed formation from surviving A. fatua was similar with both wild-oat herbicides. The treatment which reduced seed production of A. fatua and maintained crop yield most consistently was barban followed by benzoylprop-ethyl, each at half the normal recommended dose.     

Overexpression of SlGGP-LIKE gene enhanced the resistance of tomato to salt stress

Ascorbic acid (AsA) plays an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reducing photoinhibition in plants, especially under stress. The function of SlGGP which encodes the key enzyme GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase in AsA synthetic pathway is relatively clear. However, there is another gene SlGGP-LIKE that encodes this enzyme in tomato, and there are few studies on it, especially under salt stress. In this study, we explored the function of this gene in tomato salt stress response using transgenic lines overexpressing SlGGP-LIKE (OE). Under normal conditions, overexpressing SlGGP-LIKE can increase the content of reduced AsA and the ratio of AsA/ DHA (dehydroascorbic acid), as well as the level of xanthophyll cycle. Under salt stress, compared with the wild-type plants (WT), the OE lines can maintain higher levels of reduced AsA. In addition, OE lines also have higher levels of reduced GSH (glutathione) and total GSH, higher ratios of AsA/DHA and GSH/oxidative GSH (GSSR), and higher level of xanthophyll cycle. Therefore, the OE lines are more tolerant to salt stress, with higher photosynthetic activity, higher antioxidative enzyme activities, higher content of D1 protein, lower production rate of ROS, and lighter membrane damage. These results indicate that overexpressing SlGGP-LIKE can enhance tomato resistance to salt stress through promoting the synthesis of AsA.

     

Overexpression of dehydroascorbate reductase, but not monodehydroascorbate reductase, confers tolerance to aluminum stress in transgenic tobacco

Aluminum (Al) inhibits plant growth partly by causing oxidative damage that is promoted by reactive oxygen species and can be prevented by improving antioxidant capacity. Ascorbic acid (AsA), the most abundant antioxidant in plants, is regenerated by the action of monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR) and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR). We investigated the role of MDAR and DHAR in AsA regeneration during Al stress using transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants overexpressing Arabidopsis cytosolic MDAR (MDAR-OX) or DHAR (DHAR-OX). DHAR-OX plants showed better root growth than wild-type (SR-1) plants after exposure to Al for 2 weeks, but MDAR-OX plants did not. There was no difference in Al distribution and accumulation in the root tips among SR-1, DHAR-OX, and MDAR-OX plants after Al treatment for 24 h. However, DHAR-OX plants showed lower hydrogen peroxide content, less lipid peroxidation and lower level of oxidative DNA damage than SR-1 plants, whereas MDAR-OX plants showed the same extent of damage as SR-1 plants. Compared with SR-1 plants, DHAR-OX plants consistently maintained a higher AsA level both with and without Al exposure, while MDAR-OX plants maintained a higher AsA level only without Al exposure. Also, DHAR-OX plants maintained higher APX activity under Al stress. The higher AsA level and APX activity in DHAR-OX plants contributed to their higher antioxidant capacity and higher tolerance to Al stress. These findings show that the overexpression of DHAR, but not of MDAR, confers Al tolerance, and that maintenance of a high AsA level is important to Al tolerance.     

Differential Responses of Two Wheat Varieties Differing in Salt Tolerance to the Combined Stress of Mn and Salinity

The effect of Mn and NaCl on growth, mineral nutrients and antioxidative enzymes in two tetroploid wheat genotypes differing in salt tolerance was investigated in this study. 100 mM NaCl and Mn stress significantly inhibited plant growth, photosynthesis and Ca uptake, while stimulated ROS accumulation, MDA and proline content in wheat plants, Mn stress also increased SOD, APX, GR and DHAR activities. Durum wheat (AS780) was less affected by 100 mM NaCl and Mn stress than emmer wheat (AS847) due to more proline production, higher antioxidative enzymes activities and less-affected mineral nutrients. Application of 10 mM NaCl to Mn-stressed durum wheat alleviated Mn-induced damage by reducing Mn accumulation and translocation, while promoting proline accumulation and SOD, APX and GR activities. Irrespective of NaCl level, the combined stress of Mn and NaCl caused more severe oxidative stress, result in further reduction of photosynthetic rate and plant growth in emmer wheat as compared to Mn stress alone. The additively negative effects of NaCl and Mn stress on growth of emmer wheat results from reduced SOD and APX activities as well as Ca, Cu and Fe accumulation in both shoots and roots. These results suggest that salt-tolerant durum wheat is superior to emmer in adapting to Mn stress and the combined stress of salinity and Mn.

     

Alleviation of Field Low-Temperature Stress in Winter Wheat by Exogenous Application of Salicylic Acid

Low temperature in later spring severely limits plant growth and causes considerable yield loss in wheat. In this study, the impacts of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) on plant growth, grain yield and key physiological parameters of wheat plants were investigated under field low-temperature conditions using a field air temperature control system (FATC). The results showed that low-temperature stress significantly decreased leaf net photosynthetic rate, plant height and biomass production of wheat plants at the jointing stage, resulting in a reduction in grain yield. Moreover, the growth period of wheat plants was prolonged by low-temperature stress. However, SA-treated plants significantly improved the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, accumulation of osmo-protectants, activities of enzymatic antioxidants, and pool of non-enzymatic low molecular substances compared with non-SA-treated plants under low-temperature stress. Pretreatment with SA effectively alleviated low-temperature-induced reduction in leaf net photosynthetic rate, plant height, biomass production and grain yield as well as prolonging of growth period of wheat plants. However, SA-treated plants had no significant effects on the expression levels of cold-responsive genes compared with non-SA-treated plants under low-temperature stress. Our results demonstrated that exogenous application of SA is an appropriate strategy for wheat to resist late spring low-temperature stress under field conditions.

     

Influence of Drought on Graminicide Phytotoxicity in Wild Oat (Avena fatua) Grown under Different Temperature and Humidity Conditions

Controlled environmental experiments were carried out to determine the phytotoxicity of several graminicides on wild oat (Avena futua L.) as influenced by combination of drought and temperature stress or drought and low relative humidity. Compared with unstressed conditions (20/15°C plus adequate soil moisture), imazamethabenz phytotoxicity to wild oat was reduced significantly when plants were exposed to a combination of drought and high temperature (30/20°C) stress. Imazamethabenz phytotoxicity was reduced almost as much by high temperature stress alone as by a combined temperature and drought stress. When herbicides were applied to wild oat plants subjected to drought alone or to drought plus high temperature, the observed reduction in phytotoxicity from greatest to least was: fenoxaprop = diclofop > flamprop > imazamethabenz. Fenoxaprop performance was most inhibited by the combination of drought plus high temperature, although drought alone and to a lesser degree, high temperature alone, inhibited fenoxaprop action. High temperature had an adverse effect on the efficacy of fenoxaprop at lower application rates. Raising fenoxaprop application rates to 400 g ha⁻¹ overcame the inhibition caused by high temperature alone but only partially alleviated the effect of drought combined with high temperature. When plants were grown under a low temperature regimen the imposition of drought stress had little effect on imazamethabenz phytotoxicity but did reduce fenoxaprop phytotoxicity. At 25/15°C drought reduced the phytotoxicity of fenoxaprop and diclofop greatly but had no significant impact on the performance of any of the herbicides examined, regardless of soil moisture regimen. Received April 14, 1997; accepted September 22, 1997     

Methyl jasmonate alleviates arsenic-induced oxidative damage and modulates the ascorbate–glutathione cycle in oilseed rape roots

Methyl jasmonate (MJ) is an important plant growth regulator, involves in various physiological processes of plants. In the present study, role of MJ in tolerance to oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) roots under arsenic (As) stress was investigated. The treatments were comprised of three MJ doses (0, 0.1, and 1 µM) and two levels of As (0 and 200 µM). Arsenic stress resulted in oxidative damage as evidenced by decreased root growth and enhanced reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation. However, plants treated with MJ decreased the H₂O₂ and O₂ ^·? contents in roots and have higher antioxidant activities. Importantly, results showed that MJ enhanced the redox states of AsA and GSH, and the related enzymes involved in the AsA–GSH cycle. Moreover, MJ also induced the secondary metabolites related enzymes (PAL and PPO) activities, under As stress. PAL and PPO expression was further increased by MJ application in the roots of B. napus under As stress. MJ also reduced the total As content compared with As alone treated plants. These findings suggest the role of MJ in mitigation of the As-induced oxidative damage by regulating AsA and GSH redox states and by reducing As uptake in both cultivars.     

Influence of ascorbic acid and 24-epibrassinolide on physiological characteristics of pot marigold under water-stress condition*

Water deficit is considered as a major limiting environmental factor for plant growth and yield. To ameliorate the adverse effects of water restriction, an experiment was conducted in the research field of Mohaghegh Ardabili University in two successive years (2014 and 2015). Foliar spraying of different concentration of epibrassinolide (EBL) (0, 10^?8, and 10^?7?M) and ascorbic acid (AsA) (0 and 10?mM) was carried out and water-stress trials included 50 and 100?mm evaporation from class A pan. Water stress significantly enhanced essential oil content, but reduced capitula yield and relative water content (RWC) of leaves. Water-stress damage ameliorated by foliar application of 10?mM AsA with 10^?7?M EBL and the essential oil yield and antioxidant enzymes activity improved significantly. Enhancing of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage indicates that water-deficit stress caused oxidative damage to the membrane by enhancing hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) level. Combined-application of regulators significantly declined the amounts of H₂O_2, MDA, and electrolyte leakage under water stress. Antioxidant enzymes activity and also proline and protein content were enhanced by drought stress as well as regulators. Also, the application of EBL and AsA induced tolerance to water deficit and reduced the reactive oxygen species by increasing antioxidant enzymes activity and osmotic adjustment.     

不同小麦品种对低温胁迫的反应及抗冻性评价

以济麦19、济麦21、济南17等15个冬小麦品种为材料,对其在低温胁迫条件下功能叶和叶鞘超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性、过氧化物酶(POD)活性、过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性、丙二醛(MDA)含量与可溶性蛋白含量等生理指标进行测定,以功能叶各项指标的抗冻系数作为衡量抗冻性的指标,利用主成分分析、聚类分析对其抗冻性进行综合评价。低温胁迫条件下,不同冬小麦品种起身拔节期功能叶和叶鞘中SOD活性、POD活性和CAT活性均不同程度地上升,MDA含量和可溶性蛋白含量均下降。通过主成分分析和聚类分析,将15个冬小麦品种划分为3类:济麦19、山农8355属强抗冻类型;山农664、泰山9818、济麦21、济麦22、烟农24、烟农19、烟农21、汶农6号、鲁麦21、济南17属中度抗冻类型;其余3个品种(泰山23、聊麦18、临麦2号)属弱抗冻类型。     

Heat shock-induced ascorbic acid accumulation in leaves increases cadmium tolerance of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings

Ascorbic acid (AsA) is the most abundant antioxidant in plants and plays a role in responding to oxidative stress. It has been shown that AsA plays a role in protecting against abiotic stresses. Rice seedlings stressed with 5 μM CdCl₂ showed typical Cd toxicity (chlorosis and increase in malondialdehyde content). Rice seedlings pretreated with heat shock at 45°C (HS) or H₂O₂ under non-HS conditions resulted in the increase in ascorbic acid (AsA) content and the AsA/dehydroascorbate ratio in rice leaves. Exogenous application of AsA or L-galactonone-1, 4-lactone (GalL), a biosynthetic precursor of AsA, under non-HS conditions, which resulted in an increase in AsA content in leaves, enhanced subsequent Cd tolerance of rice seedlings. Pretreatment with imidazole, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, under HS conditions significantly decreased H₂O₂ and AsA contents in leaves and reduced subsequent Cd tolerance of rice seedlings. We also observed that pretreatment with lycorine, which is known to inhibit the conversion of GalL to AsA, significantly inhibited HS-induced AsA accumulation in leaves and reduced HS-induced protection against subsequent Cd stress of rice stress. It appears that HS- or H₂O₂-induced protection against subsequent Cd stress of rice seedlings is mediated through AsA. The time-course analyses of HS in rice seedlings demonstrated that the accumulation of H₂O₂ preceded the increase in AsA. Based on the data obtained in this study, it could be concluded that the early accumulation of H₂O₂ during HS signals the increase in AsA content, which in turn protects rice seedlings from oxidative damage caused by Cd.     

High temperature combined with drought affect rainfed spring wheat and barley in South-Eastern Russia: I. Phenology and growth

Heat stress, when combined with drought, is one of the major limitations to food production worldwide, especially in areas that use rainfed agriculture. As the world population continues to grow, and water resources for the crop production decline and temperature increases, so the development of heat- and drought-tolerant cultivars is an issue of global concern. In this context, four barley and two wheat genotypes were evaluated in south-eastern Russia to identify heat- and drought-tolerant genotypes for future breeding programmes by identifying suitable sowing times for specific genotypes. High temperature stress, when combined with drought during late sowing, decreased the days to visible awns, days to heading and days to ripe harvest, finally negatively affecting the growth and development of plants and resulting in a lower plant population m⁻², tillers plant⁻¹, plant height and dry matter production m⁻². On the other hand, low temperature in combination with early sowing increased the number of days to germination, reduced seedling stand establishment and tillering capacity, finally affecting the growth and development of the crops. Compared to overall performance and optimum sowing date, barley genotypes ‘Zernograd.770’ and ‘Nutans’, and wheat genotype ‘Line4’ performed best in both late (high temperature with drought) and early (low temperature) stress conditions.     

Effects of ascorbic acid and gibberellin A3 on alleviation of salt stress in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seedlings

Salinity, a severe environmental factor, has limited the growth and productivity of crops. Many compounds have been applied to minimize the harmful effects of salt stress on plant growth. An experiment was conducted to investigate the interactive effects of exogenous ascorbic acid (AsA) and gibberellic acid (GA₃) on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Naz) seedlings under salt stress. The changes of growth parameters, photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pigments and potassium content showed that the addition of 1 mM AsA and/or 0.05 mM GA₃ considerably decreased the oxidative damage in common bean plants treated with 200 mM NaCl. The NaCl-stressed seedlings exposed to AsA or GA₃, specifically in their combination, exhibited an improvement in sodium accumulation in both roots and shoots, as compared to NaCl-treated plants. NaCl treatment increased hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content and lipid peroxidation indicated by accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), whereas the interaction of AsA with GA₃ decreased the amounts of MDA and H₂O₂. In the meantime, interactive effect of these substances enhanced protein content and the activity of the antioxidant enzyme, guaiacol peroxidase, in common bean plants under salt stress. It was concluded that synergistic interaction between AsA and GA₃ could alleviate the adverse effects of salinity on P. vulgaris seedlings.     

Nitrogen Modulates the Effects of Heat,Drought, and Combined Stresses on Photosynthesis,Antioxidant Capacity,Cell Osmoregulation,and Grain Yield in Winter Wheat

Longer and more intense heat and drought stresses will occur in terrestrial ecosystems in the future. Although the effects of individual heat or drought stress on wheat plants have been largely explored, the regulatory effect of nitrogen (N) on winter wheat under heat, drought, and combined stresses and whether N alleviates damage to wheat plants caused by these stresses remain unclear. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme and N metabolism-related enzyme activity, cell membrane system, osmoregulatory substance, and yield responses to heat, drought, and combined stresses in wheat plants and to clarify the regulatory effects of N on the growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and yield of wheat plants under stress conditions. The results showed that wheat plant exposure to individual heat or drought stress reduced photosynthesis and N metabolism-related enzyme activities and increased antioxidant enzyme activities, electrolyte leakage (EL), and the contents of MDA (malondialdehyde) and O₂^? (superoxide anion). The above parameters showed typical superposition effects under combined stress. Under individual heat or drought stress, wheat plants treated with a medium (N₂) or high (N₃) N supply maintained higher photosynthesis and N metabolism-related enzyme activities than did those treated with a low N supply (N₁). Enhanced heat and drought tolerance in wheat plants under an appropriate N supply may be attributed to improved antioxidant capacity, as exemplified by increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and to enhanced osmoregulation capacity, as signified by increased contents of soluble sugar (SS), soluble protein (SP), and proline (Pro). Variable importance in projection (VIP) analysis indicated that efficient SOD, POD, CAT, and GR activities and an increased Pro content had superior potential to alleviate heat, drought, and combined stress stresses in wheat plants, and the improvements in growth and grain yield in wheat plants further confirmed the oxidative stress alleviation and stress tolerance enhancement. However, positive effects of N on wheat growth and grain yield under combined stress were usually observed under a low N supply. These results may facilitate future research on the effects of N fertilizer on the stress resistance of winter wheat.

Graphical Abstract

     

盐旱复合胁迫对小麦幼苗生长和水分吸收的影响

为明确盐害、干旱及盐旱复合胁迫对小麦幼苗生长和水分吸收的影响,从而为盐害和干旱胁迫下栽培调控提供理论依据。以2个抗旱性不同的小麦品种(扬麦16和耐旱型洛旱7号)为材料,采用水培试验,以NaCl和PEG模拟盐旱复合胁迫,研究了盐旱复合胁迫下小麦幼苗生长、根系形态、光合特性及水分吸收特性的变化。结果表明,盐、旱及复合胁迫下小麦幼苗的生物量、叶面积、总根长与根系表面积、叶绿素荧光和净光合速率均显著下降,但是复合胁迫处理的降幅却显著低于单一胁迫。盐旱复合胁迫下根系水导速率和根系伤流液强度显著大于单一胁迫,从而提高了小麦幼苗叶片水势和相对含水量。盐胁迫下小麦幼苗Na~+/K~+显著大于复合胁迫,但复合胁迫下ABA含量却显著小于单一的盐害和干旱胁迫。因此,盐旱复合胁迫可以通过增强根系水分吸收及降低根叶中ABA含量以维持较高光合能力,这是盐旱复合胁迫提高小麦适应性的重要原因。洛旱7号和扬麦16对盐及盐旱复合胁迫的响应基本一致,但在干旱胁迫下洛旱7号表现出明显的耐性。     

壳聚糖对镉胁迫下玉米幼苗叶片AsA-GSH循环的调控效应

以玉米（Zea mays L.）品种‘郑单958’为实验材料,分析外施壳聚糖对镉胁迫下玉米幼苗生物量、叶片镉含量、叶片超氧阴离子（O₂^·-）产生速率和过氧化氢（H₂O₂）的含量,以及抗坏血酸-谷胱甘肽（AsA-GSH）循环中抗氧化酶的活性及抗氧化物含量的影响。结果显示,随着镉胁迫时间的延长,玉米幼苗发生氧化胁迫,叶片抗氧化酶（APX、GR、DHAR、MDHAR）活性和抗氧化物（AsA、GSH）的含量降低,镉积累过量会抑制玉米幼苗的生长。施加壳聚糖可以降低镉胁迫下玉米幼苗叶片O₂^·-的产生速率和H₂O₂含量,提高上述抗氧化酶活性和抗氧化物的含量,促进AsA和GSH的再生,维持细胞的氧化还原状态,促进玉米幼苗的生长。研究结果表明壳聚糖处理后玉米幼苗保持了较高的AsA-GSH循环运作效率,提高了抗氧化能力,可有效缓解镉胁迫对玉米幼苗生长的抑制。