Effects of citric acid as an important component of the responses to saline and alkaline stress in the halophyte <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leymus chinensis</Emphasis> (Trin.)

Some plants accumulate some compatible solutes and exude various organic acids when exposed to environmental stress. These compatible solutes including proline have been suggested to be involved in stress tolerance by maintaining sufficient cell turgor for growth, thereby improving plant growth, protecting enzymes, and membranes. However, less evidence exists regarding the protective roles of organic acids under stress conditions. Here, we investigate the effects of citric acid as a component of the response to stress on plant growth and antioxidant enzyme activities in two genotypes of halophyte Leymus chinensis (Trin.) genotypes, LcWT07 and LcJS0107. Data showed that both saline stress (200 mM NaCl) and alkaline stress (100 mM Na₂CO₃) reduced plant growth on the relative growth rate and CO₂ assimilation rate, but increased the citric acid concentrations in 6-week-old plants over the 72 h experimental period. When 50 mg l⁻¹ citric acid was exogenously applied under stress conditions, it significantly improved the plant growth and internal citric acid concentration, and also induced defense mechanisms by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. To compare with the mitigative effects of exogenous citric acid on stress, exogenous application of proline was also performed under same conditions, and similar effects on the improvement of growth were observed. Based on these results, we suggested that citric acid is an important component of the stress response in L. chinensis, and exogenous application of 50 mg l⁻¹ citric acid might play a positive role on stress tolerance.