Nano Silver and melatonin effectively delay the senescence of cut carnation flowers under simulated vibrational stress

ABSTRACT

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) holds great significance as a cut flower, and its vase life plays a crucial role in determining its quality and market appeal. However, the extended transportation distances from the production location to consumer markets can have an unfavourable impact on the vase life and overall quality of cut flowers. The first experiment demonstrated that exposing cut carnation flowers to simulated vibrational stress (SVS) led to a decline in vase life and overall quality. Notably, the application of Nano Silver (NS; 25 and 50 μM) and melatonin (MT; 100 and 200 μM) into the holding solution proved effective in counteracting these negative effects, and extended the vase life by promoting cut flower water relations. In the second experiment, the optimal concentrations of NS and MT into the holding solution (25 and 100 μM, respectively) effectively reduced chlorophyll degradation, electrolyte leakage, and lipid peroxidation by enhancing the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes. As a result, it appears that the application of NS and MT in the holding solution has successfully prolonged vase life by both improving water balance and boosting antioxidant activity, while mitigating the negative effects of SVS.

KEYWORDS:

• Dianthus caryophyllus
• holding solution
• peroxidase
• vase life
• water uptake

Acknowledgements

This research was financed by Lorestan University (Iran). We are grateful to the laboratory staff for their contributions, continued diligence, and dedication to their craft. The valuable comments of the editor and two anonymous reviewers are greatly appreciated.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Data availability statement

Data will be made available on request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2024.2334306.