Two phenolic acids P-hydroxy benzoic acid and cinnamic acid were designated as four concentrations (0, 50 μmol/L, 100 μmol/L, 150 μmol/L) to investigate the effects of phenoic acids on the growth and the activities of membrane protective enzymes of cucumber seedlings. The results showed that both phenolic acids inhibited the seedlings growth. The inhibitory effects were increased with the concentration of phenolic acids increasing and the time of treatment prolonging. Seedlings treated with A150 (P-hydroxy benzoic acid, 150 μmol/L), B50 (cinnamic acid, 50 μmol/L), B100 (cinnamic acid, 100 μmol/L), B150 (cinnamic acid, 150 μmol/L) showed significantly shorter in plant height , smaller in leaf area. and lighter in fresh weight. The inhibitory effect of cinnamic acid was comparatively stronger than that of P-hydroxy benzoic acid. For protective enzymes system, compared to control , the POD activity increased at all concentrations of P-hydroxy benzoic acid during the treatment but increased at first then decreased before increased again at last at all concentrations of cinnamic acid .In the case of CAT, its activity increased at first, then decreased, and increased again at lower concentrations of phenolic acids. However, at higher concentrations the activities decreased at first, then increased a little, decreased continuously at last. In addition, the treatments of phenolic acids led to an increase then a decreaseof SOD activity and an increase of MDA content in the seedlings. All above indicated the accumulating of free radicalsand destruction of protective enzymes at higher concentrations of phenolic acids.
WU Feng-zhi , HUANG Cai-hong and ZHAO Feng-yan(College of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P.R.China)
In order to study the effects of exogenous cinnamic acids on plant growth, contents of photosynthetic pigment, root activities and ATPase activities of root membrane at cucumber seedling stage, the seedlings of Shandong Mici cucumber were tested. The results showed that seedlings growth, contents of photosynthetic pigment, root activities and ATPase activities of root membrane were inhibited by cinnamic acids. The growth and root activities of seedlings were significantly (P〈0.05) lower in the soil amended with 100 mg kg^-1 cinnamic acids compared to the control. The contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a+b and carotenoid of seedlings significantly (P〈0.05) decreased in the soil amended with 200 mg kg^-1 cinnamic acids, whereas ATPase activities exhibited a higher sensitivity and greatly decreased in the soil amended with 50 mg kg^-1 cinnamic acids. These results suggested that cinnamic acids could induce a stress condition, and the stress intensities increased with enhanced cinnamic acid concentration.