The effects of exogenous salicylic acid on alleviating cadmium toxicity in Nymphaea tetragona Georgi

The effects of salicylic acid pretreatments on lipid peroxidation, photosynthetic pigments, the antioxidative system and cadmium (Cd) accumulation in waterlily under Cd stress were studied. A salicylic acid pretreatment lowered the concentrations of malondialdehyde and proline, but increased the contents of photosynthetic pigments, glutathione, non-protein thiol and phytochelatins. Salicylic acid pretreatments enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase. Furthermore, SA pretreatments also decreased the Cd concentrations in different plant organs. Thus, exogenous SA treatments could attenuate the toxic effects of Cd in Nymphaea tetragona.