Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Gleditsia sinensis Seedlings to Drought Stress

One-year-old seedlings of Gleditsia sinensis were studied under drought stress condition in order to evaluate their physiological and biochemical characteristics. With the increase of intensity of drought stress, SOD activity decreased and then increased, the activities of CAT and POD, proline content, the content of soluble sugar and MDA content showed an increase-and then-decrease trend, whereas soluble protein content and relative conductance rate kept a continual increasing trend. Under drought stress condition, POD activity was closely related to CAT activity and proline content. The content of soluble sugar was closely related to proline content. Under light drought stress condition, seedlings of Gleditsia sinensis showed up certain resistance to drought which was probably affected by POD, CAT and osmotic adjustment substances.