Effects of pH and Available Chlorine Concentration of Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water on Rice Seed Germination and GABA Accumulation

Tiangang Hou, Fangming Cui, Hongguang Cui, Cuihong Liu, Mingjin Xin and Liyan Wu ()
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Tiangang Hou: College of Engineering, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Fangming Cui: College of Engineering, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Hongguang Cui: College of Engineering, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Cuihong Liu: College of Engineering, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Mingjin Xin: College of Engineering, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
Liyan Wu: College of Engineering, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-11

Abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) treatment can enhance rice seed growth and promote the accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a bioactive compound. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. This study systematically investigated the effects of pH and available chlorine concentration (ACC) of SAEW on rice seed germination and GABA biosynthesis. The changing trends were monitored within 7 days. The results revealed that the treatment group with moderate pH (S2, pH 5.74 ± 0.04) showed significantly higher GABA accumulation (71.27 ± 0.45 mg/100 g) compared with S1 (pH 5.04 ± 0.03) and S3 (pH 6.38 ± 0.04) ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between ACC levels and GABA accumulation, suggesting that ACC plays a crucial regulatory role in rice seed germination. These findings were further substantiated by monitoring the enzymatic activity of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) throughout the germination process. Notably, while higher ACCs negatively impacted rice seed growth, pH variations within the tested range showed no adverse effects on seed development. The results show that optimal SAEW parameters, considering both pH and ACC, should be carefully determined for practical applications in rice seed production.

Keywords: slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW); seed germination; pH value; available chlorine concentration (ACC) (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: 2025
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