Effect of 5-sulfosalicylic acid on antioxidant activity in relation to vase life of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gladiolus</Emphasis> cut flowers

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of 5-sulfosalicylic acid (5-SSA) on the vase life of cut flowers of Gladiolus grandiflora variety ‘Green Willow’. The vase solution having 5-SSA significantly increased cumulative uptake of vase solution, vase life, number of opened florets and decreased the number of unopened florets compared to the controls. Spikes kept in vase solution containing 5-SSA also exhibited lower respiration rates, lipid peroxidation and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, and higher membrane stability, soluble protein concentration, and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Results suggest that 5-SSA increases vase life by increasing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity of the Gladiolus cut flowers.