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. 2024 Dec 25;11(1):e41482.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41482. eCollection 2025 Jan 15.

Spermidine-induced improvements in water relations and antioxidant defense enhance drought tolerance in yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.)

Sajedeh Alijani  1 , Mohammad-Reza Raji  1 , Zohreh Emami Bistgani  2 , Abdollah Ehtesham Nia  1 , Mostafa Farajpour  3
Affiliations

Spermidine-induced improvements in water relations and antioxidant defense enhance drought tolerance in yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.)

Sajedeh Alijani et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Drought stress poses a serious threat to agricultural productivity worldwide. This study investigated the mitigative effects of exogenous spermidine on drought stressed yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.). Plants were subjected to three drought levels (25 %, 50 % and 75 % field capacity) and foliar sprayed with 0, 1.5 and 3 μM spermidine. Drought significantly reduced relative water content, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoids), osmolyte (proline, soluble sugars) accumulation and antioxidant enzyme activities such as catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), indicating oxidative damage. Spermidine treatment attenuated drought injury by improving the above parameters. Maximum responses were observed at 1.5 μM for photosynthetic pigments and osmolytes, while 3 μM performed best for secondary metabolites (phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins) and antioxidant enzymes. Drought also upregulated secondary metabolites like phenolics, while spermidine further augmented their levels. Moreover, spermidine maintained membrane integrity and osmotic adjustment under water deficit. Overall, spermidine enhanced yarrow's drought tolerance by modulating physiological and biochemical processes. Our findings provide insights into spermidine-induced adaptation mechanisms in plants combating water scarcity. Optimization of spermidine concentration may help develop drought-resilient crops.

Keywords: Adaptation; Biochemical pathways; Chlorophyll; Flavonoids; Polyamines.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Interaction effects of spermidine on RWC of yarrow under drought stress, analyzed using the LSD test (p < 0.05).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Interaction effects of spermidine on photosynthetic pigments of yarrow under drought stress, analyzed using the LSD test (p < 0.05).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Effects of spermidine and drought stress on total phenol of yarrow, analyzed using the LSD test (p < 0.05).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Interaction effects of spermidine on secondary metabolites of yarrow under drought stress, analyzed using the LSD test (p < 0.05).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Interaction effects of spermidine on osmoprotectants of yarrow under drought stress, analyzed using the LSD test (p < 0.05).
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Interaction effects of spermidine on antioxidant enzymes of yarrow under drought stress, analyzed using the LSD test (p < 0.05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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