Effect of praseodymium on the postharvest quality of Lilium longiflorum cut flowers

ABSTRACT Previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of rare earth elements (REEs) on the postharvest quality of cut flowers. However, research to date has mainly focused on the REEs lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce) and neodymium (Nd), with the effects of praseodymium (Pr) remaining unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of praseodymium nitrate (Pr(NO3)3) on the antioxidant capacity and water balance of Lilium longiflorum cut flowers. Our results showed that Pr(NO3)3 increased the activities of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and four enzymes in the ascorbate-glutathione cycle, the fresh weight change rate, and water balance value, as well as the contents of the osmolytes soluble sugar and proline, while reducing the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), resulting in a prolonged vase life. These findings suggest that Pr(NO3)3 can improve the postharvest quality of L. longiflorum cut flowers by enhancing the antioxidant capacity and water balance.