PJB-2025-54
Nitric oxide and arginine improve drought stress-induced oxidative stress tolerance in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) by modulating some key physio-biochemical indicators
Imrana Bukhari and Nudrat Aisha Akram
Abstract
A pot experiment was carried-out to evaluate the effects of exogenously sprayed nitrogenous compounds, nitric oxide (NO), arginine (Arg), and NO + Arg in mitigating the harmful impacts of drought stress applied on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Two different cultivars of sunflower plants (FH-701 and FH-811) were subjected to control conditions [100% field capacity (F.C.)] and drought-stress (50% F.C.) regimes. Then after four weeks of water deficit conditions, foliar spray of nitric oxide (0.5 mM), arginine (0.5 mM) and combination of both (0.5 mM NO + 0.5 mM Arg) along with control (no application of either of the nitrogenous compounds) were applied to sunflower plants. Drought stress significantly suppressed the plant morphological attributes (shoot and root fresh as well as their dry weights and plant shoot-root lengths), leaf relative water contents (RWC), chlorophyll contents, ascorbic acid (AsA), proline and glycine betaine (GB) concentrations. Moreover, drought stress increased the relative membrane permeability, total soluble proteins (TSP), total phenolics and various activities of antioxidant enzymes including peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Foliar applied nitric oxide (0.5 mM), arginine (0.5 mM), and NO + Arg triggered the increase in the lengths, fresh weights, dry weights of plants shoot-root, RWC, chlorophyll pigments (a & b), GB, total soluble proteins and proline contents under all water regimes. Of all foliar-applied treatments, the combined application of NO and Arg was the most efficient in improving the damaging impacts of drought-stress on plant biomass, chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant defense system. The sunflower cv. FH-701 was better in growth and cv. FH-811 in AsA, GB, and activities of enzymes like peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Overall, exogenous application of NO and Arg together can be suggested to increase sunflower plants' resistance to drought under dry land conditions
To Cite this article:
Bukhari, I. and N.A. Akram. 2026. Nitric oxide and arginine improve drought stress-induced oxidative stress tolerance in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) by modulating some key physio-biochemical indicators. Pak. J. Bot., 58(1): DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30848/PJB2026-1(7)
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