Enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids: role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutes
Abstract Drought is a major environmental stress, particularly in arid regions, where it severely limits faba bean productivity. Foliar-applied ascorbic acid (AsA) and soil-applied humic acid (HA) significantly improved drought tolerance in three faba bean cultivars by enhancing physiological perfor...
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| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Plant Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06971-3 |
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| author | Hussein S. Al-Demrdash Anam Ayyoub Omar E. A. ziton Saber A.E. Mowafy El-Sayed E. A. El-Sayed Uthman Balgith Algopishi Ahmed Ezzat Ahmed Khaled A. El-Tarabily Synan F. AbuQamar Mohsin Mahmood El-Sayed M. Desoky |
| author_facet | Hussein S. Al-Demrdash Anam Ayyoub Omar E. A. ziton Saber A.E. Mowafy El-Sayed E. A. El-Sayed Uthman Balgith Algopishi Ahmed Ezzat Ahmed Khaled A. El-Tarabily Synan F. AbuQamar Mohsin Mahmood El-Sayed M. Desoky |
| author_sort | Hussein S. Al-Demrdash |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Drought is a major environmental stress, particularly in arid regions, where it severely limits faba bean productivity. Foliar-applied ascorbic acid (AsA) and soil-applied humic acid (HA) significantly improved drought tolerance in three faba bean cultivars by enhancing physiological performance and mitigating oxidative damage under moderate (300 mm) and severe (200 mm) drought conditions. Drought stress significantly reduced chlorophyll content (up to -57.5%), relative water content (RWC, -37.9%), and yield traits such as plant height (− 9.6%) and seed yield (− 20.8%), while increasing oxidative stress markers like malondialdehyde (MDA, + 192.8%) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂, + 105.0%). AsA and HA alleviated these effects, improving chlorophyll retention (up to + 33.7%), water status (+ 17.0%), and reducing MDA(− 19.1%) and electrolyte leakage (− 11.5%). Enhanced accumulation of proline (+ 27.4%) and soluble sugars (+ 18.0%) contributed to improved osmotic balance, while antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) were also upregulated, particularly with AsA. These treatments improved growth, yield traits, and water use efficiency, especially under drought stress, with Nubaria-5 showing the highest drought resilience. This cultivar exhibited superior pigment stability, antioxidant activity, and yield preservation across stress conditions. Significant interactions among irrigation regime, biostimulant, and cultivar highlighted the importance of genotype-specific responses. Heatmap analysis confirmed the consistent effectiveness of AsA, particularly under severe drought in Nubaria-5. Overall, AsA and HA function as effective biostimulants for enhancing drought resilience in faba bean by improving photosynthetic efficiency, water relations, and antioxidative capacity, with AsA showing greater overall efficacy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-075e4d61c99b4bfa8049e7999929c9e4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2229 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Plant Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-075e4d61c99b4bfa8049e7999929c9e42025-08-20T04:01:53ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292025-08-0125111910.1186/s12870-025-06971-3Enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids: role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutesHussein S. Al-Demrdash0Anam Ayyoub1Omar E. A. ziton2Saber A.E. Mowafy3El-Sayed E. A. El-Sayed4Uthman Balgith Algopishi5Ahmed Ezzat Ahmed6Khaled A. El-Tarabily7Synan F. AbuQamar8Mohsin Mahmood9El-Sayed M. Desoky10Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig UniversityCollege of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F UniversityDepartment of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig UniversityDepartment of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig UniversityDepartment of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig UniversityDepartment of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid UniversityDepartment of Biology, College of Science, King Khalid UniversityDepartment of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates UniversityDepartment of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates UniversityKey Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia UniversityBotany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig UniversityAbstract Drought is a major environmental stress, particularly in arid regions, where it severely limits faba bean productivity. Foliar-applied ascorbic acid (AsA) and soil-applied humic acid (HA) significantly improved drought tolerance in three faba bean cultivars by enhancing physiological performance and mitigating oxidative damage under moderate (300 mm) and severe (200 mm) drought conditions. Drought stress significantly reduced chlorophyll content (up to -57.5%), relative water content (RWC, -37.9%), and yield traits such as plant height (− 9.6%) and seed yield (− 20.8%), while increasing oxidative stress markers like malondialdehyde (MDA, + 192.8%) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂, + 105.0%). AsA and HA alleviated these effects, improving chlorophyll retention (up to + 33.7%), water status (+ 17.0%), and reducing MDA(− 19.1%) and electrolyte leakage (− 11.5%). Enhanced accumulation of proline (+ 27.4%) and soluble sugars (+ 18.0%) contributed to improved osmotic balance, while antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) were also upregulated, particularly with AsA. These treatments improved growth, yield traits, and water use efficiency, especially under drought stress, with Nubaria-5 showing the highest drought resilience. This cultivar exhibited superior pigment stability, antioxidant activity, and yield preservation across stress conditions. Significant interactions among irrigation regime, biostimulant, and cultivar highlighted the importance of genotype-specific responses. Heatmap analysis confirmed the consistent effectiveness of AsA, particularly under severe drought in Nubaria-5. Overall, AsA and HA function as effective biostimulants for enhancing drought resilience in faba bean by improving photosynthetic efficiency, water relations, and antioxidative capacity, with AsA showing greater overall efficacy.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06971-3Abiotic stress toleranceOxidative stressWater use efficiencyCultivar toleranceReactive oxygen speciesPhysio-biochemical traits |
| spellingShingle | Hussein S. Al-Demrdash Anam Ayyoub Omar E. A. ziton Saber A.E. Mowafy El-Sayed E. A. El-Sayed Uthman Balgith Algopishi Ahmed Ezzat Ahmed Khaled A. El-Tarabily Synan F. AbuQamar Mohsin Mahmood El-Sayed M. Desoky Enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids: role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutes BMC Plant Biology Abiotic stress tolerance Oxidative stress Water use efficiency Cultivar tolerance Reactive oxygen species Physio-biochemical traits |
| title | Enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids: role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutes |
| title_full | Enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids: role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutes |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids: role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids: role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutes |
| title_short | Enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids: role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutes |
| title_sort | enhancing drought tolerance in faba bean using ascorbic and humic acids role of antioxidant enzymes and compatible solutes |
| topic | Abiotic stress tolerance Oxidative stress Water use efficiency Cultivar tolerance Reactive oxygen species Physio-biochemical traits |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06971-3 |
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