Retardation of leaf senescence of aquatic plants using ascorbic acid

Potentiality of ascorbic acid on retardation of senescence was analysed using leaves of aquatic plant species namely Eichhornia crassipes and Jussiaea repens. Changes of some biochemical parameters like chlorophyll, protein as well as activity of catalase enzyme were analysed as reliable senescence indices during leaf senescence of the species under ambient ageing condition. With the progress of ageing duration from zero (0) to 96 hours the levels of chlorophyll and proteins in leaf discs gradually declined in both control and ascorbic acid treated samples. However, in the ascorbic acid treated samples the rate of decline was found to be much slower. The activity of the enzyme catalase was found to decrease progressively during the observation periods (0, 24, 48 and 96 hours) regardless of the treatment. Ascorbic acid partially alleviated the rapid fall of the enzyme activity during the ageing periods. Thus, ascorbic acid seems to be a potent senescence deferral agent for the experimental aquatic plant species