Molecular and physiological responses of Pisum sativum and Vicia faba to sodium azide

Abstract Seeds of Pisum sativum and Vicia faba were pre-soaked in either 1.0, 2.0 or 4.0 mM of sodium azide (NaN3) for 30 min, 1 h or 2 hs then, sown in clay soil in plastic pots under conditions of 25/18°C day/night and natural light (16/8 h day/night) and the seedlings were harvested after 21 days. The results revealed that total phenols, H2O2, malondialdehyde and the activities of catalase, peroxidase and DPPH scavenging activity in both plant were gradually increased with the increase in NaN3 concentration and soaking time. The isozymes of α- and β- esterases and α-amylase had number of loci ranged from two (α-amylase) to four (α-esterase) in pea, while in bean, it was three for the three investigated enzymes. The ISSR analysis revealed that both plants showed highly significant increase in the appearance of bands by the highest treatment of NaN3, especially with the longest duration. Pea produced 14 polymorphic, 9 monomorphic and 4 unique bands, while bean produced 14 polymorphic, 8 monomorphic and 3 unique bands.