Open Access

ARTICLE

Seed Priming Mitigates the Salt Stress in Eggplant (Solanum melongena) by Activating Antioxidative Defense Mechanisms

Muhammad Zaid Jawaid, Muhammad Fasih Khalid, Ahmed Abou Elezz, Talaat Ahmed^*

Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, Doha, 2713, Qatar

* Corresponding Author: Talaat Ahmed. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Decoding Plant Resilience Under Abiotic Stresses)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2025, 94(8), 2423-2439. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2025.068303

Received 25 May 2025; Accepted 17 July 2025; Issue published 29 August 2025

Abstract

Salt stress is a major threat to crop agricultural productivity. Salinity affects plants’ physiological and biochemical functions by hampering metabolic functions and decreasing photosynthetic rates. Salinity causes hyperosmotic and hyperionic stress, directly impairing plant growth. In this study, eggplant seeds primed with moringa leaf extract (5%, 10%, and 15%), nano-titanium dioxide (0.02%, 0.04%, and 0.06%), and ascorbic acid (0.5, 1, and 2 mM) at different NaCl salt (0, 75, and 150 mM) concentration were grown. The germination attributes (final germination percentage, germination index, mean germination time, and mean germination rate) and growth (root length, shoot length, fresh biomass, and dry biomass) were enhanced in the primed seedlings by the different priming agents, more prominently in ascorbic acid primed seedlings. The accumulation of hydrogen peroxide was greater in seedlings with higher salt levels. Similarly, the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase) was higher in primed seedlings compared to the control. At 150 mM, the antioxidant capacity was higher than 75 mM, and the seedlings’ sodium and chloride content was higher. The results demonstrate that seedling germination, growth, and activity of the antioxidant enzymes in ascorbic acid-primed seedlings increase their tolerance to salinity. Therefore, using different ascorbic acid concentrations (0.5, 1, and 2 mM) as a priming agent to enhance germination and growth in saline conditions has proven effective.

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