α-Tocopherol application as a countermeasure to UV-B stress in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The source of energy for all photoautotrophic organisms is light, which is absorbed by photosynthetic processes and used to transform carbon dioxide and H2O into organic molecules. The majority of UV-B light (280 to 320 nm) is absorbed by stratospheric ozone layer, although some of it does reach at the Earth’s surface. Because of the sedentary lifestyle of plants, this form of abiotic stress is unavoidable and can induce growth and even cell death. Ten-day-old calli generated from mature Kirik wheat embryos were subjected to UV-B radiation for 0, 2, 4, and 6 h to examine the function of exogenous α-tocopherol, a lipophilic antioxidant, in wheat tolerance to UV-B radiation stress. The calli were then moved to a callus medium containing α-tocopherol (0, 50, and 100 mg/l) and cultivated there for 20 days after being subjected to UV-B stress. For plant regeneration, embryogenic calli were put on a medium for plant regeneration after 30 days. The findings of this investigation demonstrated that an increase in UV-B exposure period resulted in a substantial drop in the relative growth rate of callus, the rate of embryogenic callus, the rate of responding embryogenic callus, and the number of plants in each explant. On the other hand, with the application of α-tocopherol, all these parameters improved, and the best result was observed in the application of 100 mg/l of α-tocopherol in terms of plant regeneration under UV-B stress.