Soil salinity is one of the most common abiotic stressors that affects plant growth and development. The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of nitric oxide (NO), on the physiological response of common centaury (Centaurium erythraea) shoots grown under stress conditions caused by sodium chloride (NaCl) in vitro. Centaury shoots were first grown on nutrient medium containing different SNP concentrations (50, 100 and 250 μM) during the pretreatment phase. After three weeks, the shoots were transferred to nutrient media supplemented with NaCl (150 mM) and/or SNP (50, 100 or 250 μM) for one week. The results showed that salinity decreased photosynthetic pigments, total phenolic content and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical) concentration. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, namely superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX), were also reduced under salt stress. However, MDA concentration was decreased, while H2O2 and proline content did not drastically change under the stress conditions caused by NaCl. Exogenous application of SNP altered the biochemical parameters of centaury shoots grown under salt stress. In this case, increased photosynthetic pigment content, total phenolics and proline content were noted, with reduced MDA, but not H2O2, concentration was observed. In addition, the exogenous application of SNP increased the degree of DPPH reduction as well as SOD, CAT and POX activities.
Keywords: antioxidative protection; common centaury; oxidative stress; salinity stress; sodium nitroprusside.