Effect of Accelerated Aging of Borage (Borago officinalis L.) Seeds on Seed Reproduction and Biochemical Content

Abstract

Optimization of seed storage protocols is of great importance for their short and long-time conservation in Genbanks. Seeds containing oil are very sensitive to changes in moisture and temperature during storage. Thus, the work aimed to evaluate the effect of seed storage temperature and moisture content on germination, growth, and biochemical characteristics of Borago officinalis seedlings. The treatments included five levels of seed moisture (5, 10, 15, 20, 25%) and eight temperature levels (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 °C) and 12 storage levels (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77 and 84 days). The results showed that, with increasing storage time, both proline levels and peroxidase activity increased. It was determined that at 25°C, peroxidase enzyme activity was highest at the beginning of storage (28 days), but as adverse conditions persisted, activity decreased significantly. The lowest proline level was observed at 15 °C and 25% humidity on the 28th day of storage. Based on the results, as storage time, storage temperature, and seed moisture content increase, the quality of Borago officinalis seedlings decreases. Since these seeds contain oil, optimal storage time and conditions must be maintained for their maximum quality. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying seed ageing is necessary to identify optimal storage conditions for estimating seed longevity.

Keywords

• antioxidant
• Borago officinalis
• Peroxidase
• Proline
• Seed longevity

References

1. Alivand, R., Tavakkol Afshari, R., & Sharifzadeh, F. (2013). Investigation germination process ofdeterioration canola seed (Brassica napus). Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science, 44, 63-83. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijfcs.2013.30485.
2. Amrahov, N. R., Allahverdiyev, V. Y., Agharzayeva, Y. I., Mammadova, R. B., Omarova, S. N., Khudayev, F. A., Nasibova A. N., Shoaib, M., Khalilov, R. I., & Mammadov, Z. M. (2023). Effect of Verticillium wilt on the antioxidant system and formation of iron nanoparticles in cotton genotypes. Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences, 33(6), 1322-1332. https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2023.6.0672
3. Amrahov, N. R., Mammadova, R. B., Allahverdiyeva, S. N., Aliyev, E. I., Alizada, S. R., Aghazada, G. A., ... & Mammadov, Z. M. (2023). Effect of indole-3-butyric acid on the antioxidant enzymes, no and chlorophyll content of agdash-3 and ap-317 genotypes of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Advances in Biology & Earth Sciences, 8(2), 147-156.
4. Ansari, A., Sharifzadeh, F., Tabatabaei, S. A., & Moradi, A. (2015). Determining viability coefficients of mountain rye seed (Secale montanum guss) in different temperature and humidity conditions. Journal of Seed Research. 5, 32-41. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061288.
5. Basra, S. M. A., Ahmad, N., Khan, M. M., Iqbal, N., & Cheema, M. A. (2003). Assessment of cotton seed deterioration during accelerated aging. Seed Science and Technology, 31, 531-540. https://doi.org/10.15258/sst.2003.31.3.02.
6. Bates, L. S. (1973). Rapid determination of free prolin for water stress studies. Plant Soil, 39, 205-207. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00018060.
7. Bedi, S., Kaur, R., Sital, J. S., & Kaur, J. (2006). Artificial ageing of Brassica seeds of different maturity levels. Seed Science and Technology, 34, 287-296. http://dx.doi.org/10.15258/sst.2006.34.2.04.
8. Bradford, K. J. (2004). Germination. In J.D.Bewley, K.J.Bradford, H.W.M. Hilhorst, & H. Nonogaki, Seeds, (pp. 133-181). Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4614-4693-4.

9. Cakmak, I., & Horst, W. (1991). Effect of aluminum on lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismuatse, catalase, and peroxidase activities in root tips of soybean (Glycine max). Plant Physiology, 83, 463-468. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1991.tb00121.x.
10. Chance, B., & Maehly, A. C. (1955). Assay of catalases and peroxidase. Methods in Enzymology, 2, 764-775. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470110171.ch14.
11. Copeland, L. O., & McDonald, M. B. (1985). Principles of seed science and technology. Annals of Botany, 89, 798. 10.1093/aob/mcf127.
12. Ellis, R. H., Covell, S., Roberts, E. H., & Summerfield, R. J. (1986). The influence of temperature on seed germination rate in grain legumes. II. Intraspecific variation in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) at constant temperatures. Journal of Experimental Botany, 37, 1503–1515. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/37.10.1503.
13. Ellis, R. H., & Roberts, E. H. (1980). Improved equations for the prediction of seed longevity. Annals of Botany, 45, 13-30. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aob.a085797.
14. Fakhari, R., Moharramnejad, S., Moghanlo, G. D., & Mammadova, R. (2025). Evaluating the effects of hand weeding and selective herbicides on weeds control and maize (Zea mays L.) traits. Paper presented In BIO Web of Conferences.
15. Gregg, B., Wanis, S. A. E., Bishaw, Z., & Gastel, A. J. G. (1994). Safe seed storage. WANA Seed Net work, 594-596.
16. International Seed Testing Association. (2008). International rules for seed testing. 30: 683-687. https://www.seedtest.org/en/publications/international-rules-seed-testing.html.
17. International Seed Testing Association. (2010). International rules for seed testing. https://www.seedtest.org/en/publications/international-rules-seed-testing.html.
18. Kaewnaree, P., Vichitphan, S., Klanrit, P., Siri, B., & Vichitphan, K. (2011). Effect of accelerated aging process on seed quality and biochemical changes in sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Seed Biotechnology, 10, 175-182. https://doi.org/10.3923/biotech.2011.175.182.
19. Karimi, E., Oskoueian, E., Karimi, A., Noura, R., & Ebrahimi, M. (2018). Borago officinalis L. flower: a comprehensive study on bioactive compounds and its health- promoting properties. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 12, 826-838. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-017-9697-9.
20. Kirshnan, P., Nagarajan, S., Dadlani, M., & Moharir, A. V. (2003). Characterization of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and soybean (Glycine max) seeds under accelerated ageing conditions by proton nuclear magnetic spectroscopy. Seed Science and Technology, 31, 541-550. https://doi.org/10.15258/sst.2003.31.3.03.
21. Larsen, S. U., & Povlsen, F. V. (1998). The influence of seed vigour on field performance and the evaluation of applicability of the controlled deterioration vigour test in oil-seed rape (Brassica napus L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.). Seed Science and Technology, 26, 627-641. http://dx.doi.org/10.15258/sst.2008.36.2.19.
22. Mammadova, R., Akparov, Z., Amri, A., Bakhsh, A., Alo, F., Alizade, Sh., Amrahov, N., & Yunisova, F. (2024). Genetic diversity analysis of Azerbaijani bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes with simple sequence repeat markers linked to drought tolerance. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-024-01977-6.
23. Mammadova, R. B., Akparov, Z. I., Alizade, S. A., Amrahov, N. R., & Abdulalıyeva, G. S. (2025). Verticillium wilt effect on fiber production and its quality traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). SABRAO J. Breed. Genet, 57(5), 2015-2023.
24. Marshal, A. H., & Lewis, D. N. (2004). Influnence of seed storage conditions on seedling emergence, seedling growth and dry matter production of temperate forage grasses. Seed Science and Technology, 32, 493-501. https://doi.org/10.15258/SST.2004.32.2.19.
25. McDonald, M. B. (1999). Seed deterioration: physiology, repair and assessment. Seed Science and Technology, 27, 177-237. https://doi.org/10.33202/comuagri.605780.
26. McDonald, M. B. (2004). Orthodox seed deterioration and its repair. Benech-Arnold, 273-304. https://doi.org/10.3390/seeds3010005.
27. Moeinzadeh, A., Tavakkol Afshari, R., Moghadam, H., & Baghizadeh, A. (2018). The effect of storage conditions on seed germination indices and viability constant of lentil (Lens culinaris) and pea (Cicer arientinum) seed. Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science, 49, 71-92. https://doi.org/10.22059/IJFCS.2018.141705.654030.
28. Pradidwong, S., Suriyong, S., & Pawelzik, E. (2004). Mungbean seed longevity and quality influenced by initial seed moisture content and storage temperature. Cornell University Press, 200-321. http://dx.doi.org/10.9735/0975-3710.5.1.339-346.
29. Soltani, A., Gholipoor, M., & Zeinali, E. (2006). Seed reserve utilization and seedling growth of wheat as affected by drought and salinity. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 55, 195-200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2004.10.012.
30. Tawakol Afshari R., Qasemi, F., Majnun Hosseni, N., Alizadeh, H., & Bihamta, M. (2016). The effect of seed aging on germination traits and activity of antioxidant enzymes catalase and peroxidase in genotypes of barley (Hordeum vulgare). Iranian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 38, 327-346. https://sid.ir/paper/8455/fa.