الفهرس 
Introduction
Estimation of total - NOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 422 |  |  |
| | | from | 422 | | |
Abstract
Experiments were conducted in which Vicia faba seeds were germinated, for 12 days at 25 (R+ (B1C, in culture media with increasing concentrations of NaCl or mannitol either alone or in combination with 4 mM ascorbic acid as antioxidant compound. All these experiments were designed to investigate possible effects of stressful factors (NaCl or mannitol) on germination and growth of broad beans and consequently the physiological effect of exogenous addition of antioxidant compound (ascorbic acid) to such stressed materials in order to alleviate either partly or completely the adverse toxic effects of the stressful media on germination and growth of broad beans. It became apparent that the external addition of ascorbic acid to the stressful media induced significant increases in percentage germination and in levels of growth parameters of broad bean seedlings throughout the germination period of 12 days, as compared with values of control seedlings in NaCl or mannitol alone. In general, as compared with control, exogenous addition of 4 mM ascorbic acid to NaCl or mannitoltreated broad beans induced a significant increase in the contents of nonenzymatic (ascorbic acid and glutathione) and enzymatic (SOD, CAT, APO and GR) antioxidant activities, in particular in the samples treated with 1.0%, 1.25% and 1.50% NaCl or mannitol, throughout the entire period of the experiment.