Boron (B) toxicity is a notable abiotic hindrance that restricts crop productivity by disturbing several physiological and biochemical processes in plants. This study was aimed to elucidate the role of salicylic acid (SA) in conferring tolerance to B stress in Mentha arvensis and Cymbopogon flexuosus. Boron toxicity led to a considerable decrease in shoot height and root length, fresh and dry mass of shoot and root, and physiological and biochemical parameters. However, exogenously applied SA relieved the adverse effects caused by B toxicity and led to an increase in growth parameters under B stress and non-stress conditions. The treatment of B resulted in its increased accumulation in roots and shoots of both the plants which, in turn, caused oxidative damage as evident by increased content of malondialdehyde and catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase enzyme activities. However, exogenous SA supply significantly affected antioxidant enzyme activities and protected the plants from excess B. Moreover, the essential oil content of two selected plants declined under B toxicity and significantly enhanced in SA-treated stressed plants. The contents of menthol and menthyl acetate in M. arvensis were lowered in B stressed plants which significantly improved in SA treated B-stressed and in their respective SA alone treatment. Similarly, citral-A and citral-B content of C. flexuosus declined under B toxicity, however, SA reversed the negative effects of B toxicity on essential oil components. This assessment stipulated the promising role of exogenously applied SA in alleviating B toxicity in M. arvensis and C. flexuosus by improving antioxidant machinery and limiting B uptake which protects the structural integrity of leaves and also helps in increasing essential oil content.

硼（B）毒性是一种显着的非生物障碍，它通过干扰植物中的几种生理和生化过程而限制了作物的生产力。这项研究旨在阐明水杨酸（SA）在赋予薄荷和弯腰柏对B胁迫的耐受性中的作用。硼的毒性导致枝条高度和根长，枝条和根的新鲜和干燥质量以及生理和生化参数大大降低。然而，外源施用的SA缓解了B毒性引起的不利影响，并导致在B胁迫和非胁迫条件下生长参数的增加。B处理导致其在两种植物的根和芽中积累的增加，进而引起氧化损伤，这由丙二醛和过氧化氢酶，过氧化物酶，超氧化物歧化酶和谷胱甘肽还原酶活性的增加所证明。但是，外源SA的供应严重影响了抗氧化酶的活性，并保护了植物免受过量B的侵害。此外，在B毒性下，两个选定植物的精油含量下降，而在SA处理的胁迫植物中，精油含量显着提高。薄荷中薄荷醇和乙酸薄荷酯的含量。在B胁迫的植物中M. arvensis降低，在SA处理的B胁迫及其单独的SA处理中明显改善。类似地，在B毒性下，弯曲弯曲杆菌的柠檬酸A和柠檬酸B含量下降，但是，SA逆转了B毒性对精油成分的负面影响。该评估表明，外源应用SA通过改善抗氧化剂机制和限制B吸收（从而保护叶片的结构完整性并有助于增加精油含量）在减轻A.ensis和C. flexuosus的B毒性方面发挥了有希望的作用。