Effects of Salt Stress on Active Components, Antioxidant Capacity and Antioxidase Activity of Sesame during Germination

To investigate the effect of salt stress on the germination of sesame, a mixed salt solution of sodium chloride and calcium chloride was used as the culture medium to analyze the changes and correlations in growth characteristics, total phenolic content, total flavone content, antioxidant capacity, and antioxidant enzyme activity during the germination process of sesame. The results showed that salt stress could promote sesame germination and the accumulation of phenol and flavone, and improve the ABTS⁺ free radicals scavenging rate and the iron ion reduction ability of sesame. The effect of salt stress on antioxidant enzyme activity varied by enzyme species, and the treatment had a more obvious promoting effect on SOD and CAT activities compared with APX and POD activities. The correlation analysis results demonstrated that the total phenol of sesame cultured under salt stress was positively correlated with its total flavonoids, ABTS⁺ free radical scavenging rate, iron ion reducing ability, and POD enzyme activity. The correlation between total phenol and iron ion reducing ability, SOD activity and DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, POD activity and iron ion reducing ability of sesame was enhanced by salt stress treatment. This study could lay a foundation for further deciphering the physiological mechanism of salt stress on sesame germination, and provide theoretical basis for the development of sesame functional foods.