Sodium benzoate (NaB) is widely used as food and drink preservative. However, little is known about the phytotoxic effects of NaB on plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytotoxicity effects of exogenous sodium benzoate on seed germination and seedling establishment of rice plants. Seeds were treated with 0, 5 and 10 mM of NaB in a growth chamber with controlled conditions. NaB decreased the germination rate, plant growth and biomass accumulation. Increasing NaB concentration resulted in disruption of cell membranes, disturbance of the plant water status and degradation of the photosynthetic pigments. In addition, NaB decreased photosynthesis and transpiration rates in rice seedling and triggered non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The NPQ was able to avoid photoinhibition in rice seedlings exposed to NaB. On the other hand, the harmful effects were related with increases in the production of reactive oxygen species, primarily H₂O₂. Rice plants exposed to 5 mM NaB triggered antioxidant defenses with increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidases (APX) and catalase (CAT). In contrast, the exposure of 10 mM of NaB decreased the activities of these enzymes. Our data clearly show that NaB triggered phytotoxicity effects in rice seedlings, impairing growth, photosynthesis and development.

中文翻译：

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苯甲酸钠抑制水稻植物的萌发，建立和发育

苯甲酸钠（NaB）被广泛用作食品和饮料的防腐剂。然而，关于NaB对植物的植物毒性作用所知甚少。这项研究的目的是评估外源苯甲酸钠对水稻种子萌发和幼苗生长的植物毒性作用。在生长箱中在受控条件下用0、5和10 mM NaB处理种子。NaB降低了发芽率，植物生长和生物量积累。NaB浓度增加会导致细胞膜破裂，植物水分状况受到干扰以及光合色素的降解。此外，NaB降低了水稻幼苗的光合作用和蒸腾速率，并引发了非光化学猝灭（NPQ）。NPQ能够避免暴露于NaB的水稻幼苗中的光抑制作用。另一方面，₂ O ₂。暴露于5 mM NaB的水稻植株通过增加超氧化物歧化酶（SOD），抗坏血酸过氧化物酶（APX）和过氧化氢酶（CAT）的活性来触发抗氧化剂防御。相反，暴露于10 mM的NaB会降低这些酶的活性。我们的数据清楚地表明，NaB触发了水稻幼苗的植物毒性作用，损害了其生长，光合作用和发育。