Melatonin and hemin co-application reprograms lipolysis, oleosin accumulation and H(2)S metabolism in NaCl-stressed sunflower seedlings.

Co-application of melatonin and hemin enhances lipid mobilization and H2S metabolism, improving salt stress tolerance in sunflower seedlings with a 2.5-fold increase in lipolytic activity.

• Why it matters: Salt stress impairs seed germination and lipid breakdown, limiting seedling survival and crop productivity; understanding how to mitigate these effects is vital for agriculture.
• What they did: The study applied melatonin and hemin to NaCl-stressed sunflower seedlings, analyzing enzyme activity, lipid mobilization, and H2S levels through biochemical and microscopic techniques.
• The result: Findings show that combined treatment accelerates oil body degradation, upregulates specific lipolytic enzymes and H2S production, and offers potential strategies to enhance salt tolerance in oilseed crops.