The effect of pre-application of salicylic acid on some physiological and biochemical characteristics of tomato seedling (Lycopersicon esculentum L) growing in cadmium containing media

Abstract

In this study, the role of pre-application with salicylic acid on induced physiological and biochemical changes and the possible induction of oxidative stress on tomato grown in a cadmium-containing medium were investigated. This present study examined the effects of salicylic acid pre-application on the responses of twenty-five-day-old tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) seedlings to cadmium. For this purpose, the plants were applied 1.5 mM salicylic acid solution for 16 and 24 h and then treated with 0, 10, 25 and 50 μM cadmium solutions for five days. After the treatments, biochemical changes in the seedlings such as malondialdehyde, proline, protein and pigment contents (after 16 and 24 h), seedling and leaf length, seedling fresh weight (after 24 h) were examined. Salicylic acid pre-application was found to significantly differently alleviate the typical harmful effects caused by different cadmium concentrations.

Key words: Lycopersicon esculentum, salicylic acid, cadmium, toxicity.