The Effect of Hydro-Priming and Proline Priming of Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds on Germination, Photosynthetic Pigments and Metal Metabolism under Cadmium Stress

Alisa Selović, Erna Karalija (), Arnela Demir, Adisa Parić and Dunja Šamec
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Alisa Selović: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Erna Karalija: Laboratory for Plant Physiology, Department for Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Arnela Demir: Laboratory for Plant Physiology, Department for Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Adisa Parić: Laboratory for Plant Physiology, Department for Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Sarajevo, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dunja Šamec: Department of Food Technology, University North, 48000 Koprivnica, Croatia

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-9

Abstract: Cadmium (Cd) is considered one of the most toxic heavy metals to living organisms, being very persistent in soil and non-biodegradable, thus posing a long-term hazard to plants and humans. In recent years, the application of different molecules at the seed level, known as chemical seed priming, has been studied as a method to improve stress tolerance in plants. In the present study, we tested the effect of hydro-priming and proline priming of lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) seeds on germination, photosynthetic pigments, and metal metabolism under cadmium stress. Plants primed with proline showed better germination under cadmium stress (100% versus 84% for non-primed and hydro-primed seeds). Priming with 20 mM of proline increased the chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll contents by 40.8% and 18.6%, respectively, while these parameters decreased in other seedlings under Cd stress. Similarly, 20 mM of proline improved the uptake of Zn and Fe in roots under Cd stress. This indicates that 20 mM of proline treatments may be beneficial for maintaining a normal photosynthetic capacity and mineral uptake under Cd stress, but further metabolomics and transcriptomic data should reveal the exact mechanisms of action.

Keywords: lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.); cadmium stress; seed priming; hydro-priming; proline (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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