S04 - Session P1 - New Tools I - Evaluation of antioxidative responses and salinity tolerance of Damask rose under invitro culture

Hanifeh Seyed Hajizadeh *, Sahar Azizi

Damask rose is one of the most economically important rose species in Iran. After drought, salinity is the second most common environmental stress reducing the growth and yield of plants especially in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, but it is likely related to the genotype. One way to reduce salinity damage is to plant and select salinity-resistant plants. In order to investigate the effect of salinity stress on Damask rose Kashan genotype, an experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications and five levels of salinity including 0, 25, 50 and 75 and 100 mM NaCl under invitro culture. Mean comparison showed that the amount of soluble protein were inversely associated with increasing salinity levels. The lowest levels of protein were related to sever salinity in the culture medium. Results showed that the amount of proline, malondialdehyde and H 2 O 2 was increased by increasing salt stress, although the lowest amount was observed in control treatment. Total phenol and flavonoid content of the leaves was also affected by increased salinity stress as the highest amount was observed at 100 mM NaCl in the culture medium. In addition, the results showed that by increasing salinity stress, the amount of carotenoid and anthocyanin were increased also. The antioxidant capacity of leaf extracts in explants exposed to 100 mM NaCl was higher than other levels of salinity. Generally, in salt stressed- Damask rose the antioxidative capacity increased in response to salinity although plant growth may be reduced.