# Ancient Hulled Wheat: An Antioxidant-Rich Crop for Boron-Contaminated Soils

## TL;DR

Ancient hulled wheat shows potential for growing in boron-contaminated soils due to its antioxidant defenses and response to glycine betaine.

## Contribution

The study reveals how ancient hulled wheat species tolerate boron stress and how glycine betaine mitigates its effects.

## Key findings

- Boron initially boosted biomass but higher levels caused growth inhibition, which was reduced by glycine betaine.
- Antioxidant enzyme activities increased at low boron but decreased at high levels, indicating oxidative stress.
- Glycine betaine improved antioxidant defenses and osmotic adjustment, reducing boron-induced damage.

## Abstract

This study investigated the boron (B) tolerance of four
ancient
hulled wheat species, examining their morphological, physiological,
and antioxidant responses to varying B concentrations and the mitigating
effects of exogenous glycine betaine (GB). Results revealed that B
initially promoted root and shoot biomass, but higher concentrations
induced growth inhibition, mitigated by GB application. B exposure
increased total protein content and antioxidant enzyme activities
at lower concentrations but decreased them at higher concentrations,
indicating oxidative stress. Exogenous GB enhanced antioxidant enzyme
activities and proline accumulation, alleviating oxidative damage.
These findings suggest varying B tolerance among ancient hulled wheat
varieties. GB effectively mitigated B-induced stress by bolstering
antioxidant defenses and promoting osmotic adjustment. This highlights
the potential of ancient hulled wheat as a genetic resource for developing
B-tolerant wheat cultivars.