Exogenous Sugar Alleviates Salt Stress in Cucumber Seedlings by Regulating the Antioxidant System and Hormone Signaling.

ABSTRACT: This study explored the regulatory effects of exogenous glucose (Glu) and sucrose (Suc) on the growth performance and physiological mechanisms of cucumber seedlings under salt stress. Using two cucumber cultivars as experimental materials, pot experiments demonstrated that salt stress significantly suppressed seedling growth, decreased chlorophyll content, and triggered oxidative damage. However, pretreatment with exogenous sugars effectively mitigated these adverse effects by maintaining photosynthetic efficiency, enhancing the activities of key antioxidant enzymes-superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)-and reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and membrane lipid peroxidation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that

SUBMITTER: Yu G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12468133 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature