Effects of 24-epibrassinolide on growth, chlorophyll, electrolyte leakage and proline by pepper plants under NaCl-stress

Abstract

Brassinosteroids are steroidal phytohormones that have the ability to overcome plant environmental stress. This study was carried out to investigate the role of 24-epibrassinolide in inducing pepper plant salt tolerance as measured by a range of physiological parameters: growth, chlorophyll, electrolyte leakage and proline. Capsicum annuum cv. Beldi seedlings were sprayed with 24-epibrassinolide both in the presence or the absence of NaCl and were sampled, 28 days after treatments. As a result of analysing the cultures under salinity stress, it was determined that the biomass and the chlorophyll decreased significantly, while the electrolyte leakage and the proline concentration increased considerably under salinity stress. However, the application of 24-epibrassinolide significantly ameliorated the adverse effects of salinity on the examined parameters, confirming the suppositions of previous authors who have claimed that exogenously applied 24-epibrassinolide can increase growth and protect the integrity of the cellular membrane in stressed plants.