The oxidative stress and antioxidant systems in cucumber cells during acclimation to salinity

In the present study, we measured the markers of oxidative stress as well as activity of antioxidative enzymes and content of alpha-tocopherol in the acclimated and non-acclimated cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cell suspension cultures subjected to 150 and 200 mM NaCl. The content of carbonyl groups and lipid peroxidation were lower in the acclimated cultures than in the non-acclimated ones as well as their increases after NaCl treatments. Both NaCl concentrations enhanced activity of glutathione peroxidase in the examined cultures whereas activity of glutathione-S-transferase rose only in the acclimated ones. The increase in content of alpha-tocopherol induced by NaCl was more pronounced in the acclimated cultures. NaCl caused high decline in cell vigour in the non-acclimated cultures up to 80 - 90 % at the end of the experiment. The presented data suggest that the acclimated cultures coped with the salt stress better than the non-acclimated ones.