The effect of natural salinity on seed germination, seedling establishment growth and selected biochemical properties of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni

The effect of natural salinity on seed germination, seedling establishment growth and selected biochemical properties of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The effect of natural salinity on seed germination, seedling establishment growth and selected biochemical properties of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Heshmat Omidi, Mohammad Hosein Bijeh Keshavarzi, Seyed Mohammad Reza Mousavi This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3894959/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In dry and semi-arid climates, soil and water salinity reduces plant development and productivity. Due to salty land development and loss of arable land, identifying therapeutic plants resistant to salinity or substances that decrease its effects is crucial. This study examined the seed germination, seedling establishment, and antioxidant potential of a novel Stevia rebaudiana (Stevia UEM-13) variety to natural salinity. We also examined how salinity affected biochemical and physiological changes in two separate experiments to a CRD with four replications in laboratory and greenhouse. Five degrees of salinity treatments were examined in the natural saltwater Lake of Qom: Control, 4, 8, 12, and 16 ds.m − 1 . The germination percent, root and shoot seedling dry weight, biochemical properties (medicinal content), and antioxidant enzyme activity were measured. Results indicate considerable impact of salt stress on germination, growth, biochemical, and physiological alterations (P ≤ 0.01). Increasing salinity stress to 16 ds.m − 1 decreased germination (95.08%), root and shoot length (43.93 and 80.88%), seedling dry weight (7.22%), and the best germination and growth index (88.00%) was found in controlled conditions. Shoot osmolytes increased with salinity stress. Example: Maximum protein (31.96%), POD (125%), SOD (64.36%), proline (115%), and soluble sugar (238%), observed at leaves sprout under salt stress (16 ds.m − 1). This study shows that salt stress increases secondary metabolites (phenolic chemicals), which modify stevia responsiveness and therapeutic qualities. Salinity stress enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, carotenoids, anthocyanin, phenol, and malondialdehyde in shoots. The maximum activity was seen at a salinity stress level of 12 ds.m − 1 . Changing irrigating procedures may modulate stevia's secondary metabolites (medicinal contents). Stevia proline soluble carbohydrates protein antioxidant defense Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3894959","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":269212502,"identity":"98c9ab94-9399-47b7-957d-9334d1c3f180","order_by":0,"name":"Heshmat Omidi","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAzklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACfgbGBomECoYEBgkGEGJgYCOkRbIBpOUMKVoMDgBVMrYhaSEIDK4dbrzxcF5dHv/s5oM3GGrsGPikDxDQcjux2SJx2+FiiTvHki0YjiUzsPElENTSJpG47UBiw40cMwkGtgMMbDyEHAbWMqcucf6N/G8SDP+I1tLAnLjhRg4bMByI0CI5G+iXhGOHEzfeSDO2SOxL5iGohV86/eHNHzV1ifNuJD+88eGbnZx8DwEtqCCBgYGQHaNgFIyCUTAKiAEAwtdDg8IPArkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Shahed University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Heshmat","middleName":"","lastName":"Omidi","suffix":""},{"id":269212503,"identity":"d94bfc17-22bf-4a62-9be3-c32671f86be7","order_by":1,"name":"Mohammad Hosein Bijeh Keshavarzi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shahed University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohammad","middleName":"Hosein Bijeh","lastName":"Keshavarzi","suffix":""},{"id":269212504,"identity":"4ea836de-f4d2-4c74-a692-bc957dca9a70","order_by":2,"name":"Seyed Mohammad Reza Mousavi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shahed University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Seyed","middleName":"Mohammad Reza","lastName":"Mousavi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-01-24 18:44:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3894959/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3894959/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":50949439,"identity":"2350ed7a-6131-488c-8ca9-6142f6912211","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-02-10 09:59:39","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":365563,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Paper1.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3894959/v1_covered_e4a15c39-86a3-45dd-bb9a-d3830afb7274.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eThe effect of natural salinity on seed germination, seedling establishment growth and selected biochemical properties of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Stevia, proline, soluble carbohydrates, protein, antioxidant defense","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3894959/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3894959/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIn dry and semi-arid climates, soil and water salinity reduces plant development and productivity. Due to salty land development and loss of arable land, identifying therapeutic plants resistant to salinity or substances that decrease its effects is crucial. This study examined the seed germination, seedling establishment, and antioxidant potential of a novel Stevia rebaudiana (Stevia UEM-13) variety to natural salinity. We also examined how salinity affected biochemical and physiological changes in two separate experiments to a CRD with four replications in laboratory and greenhouse. Five degrees of salinity treatments were examined in the natural saltwater Lake of Qom: Control, 4, 8, 12, and 16 ds.m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. The germination percent, root and shoot seedling dry weight, biochemical properties (medicinal content), and antioxidant enzyme activity were measured. Results indicate considerable impact of salt stress on germination, growth, biochemical, and physiological alterations (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.01). Increasing salinity stress to 16 ds.m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e decreased germination (95.08%), root and shoot length (43.93 and 80.88%), seedling dry weight (7.22%), and the best germination and growth index (88.00%) was found in controlled conditions. Shoot osmolytes increased with salinity stress. Example: Maximum protein (31.96%), POD (125%), SOD (64.36%), proline (115%), and soluble sugar (238%), observed at leaves sprout under salt stress (16 ds.m\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1). This study shows that salt stress increases secondary metabolites (phenolic chemicals), which modify stevia responsiveness and therapeutic qualities. Salinity stress enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, carotenoids, anthocyanin, phenol, and malondialdehyde in shoots. The maximum activity was seen at a salinity stress level of 12 ds.m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e. 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