Improving the drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by exogenous application of vanillic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid

Water stress obstructs rice growth mainly by oxidative damage in biological cells to cause a reduction of leaf photosynthesis and evapotranspiration processes. In this study, exogenous application of vanillic acid (VA) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) to improve drought tolerance of two Oryza sativa cultivars, Q2 and Q8 was tested. The drought evaluation based on leaf phenotypes to show that both Q2 and Q8 resulted in remarkable water-stress tolerance induced by leaf spraying pretreatment of mixed solution of $50{\mu}M\;VA+50{\mu}M\;PHBA$. The mixtures of $25{\mu}M\;VA+25{\mu}M\;PHBA$ and $50{\mu}M\;VA+50{\mu}M\;PHBA$ treated on Q2 and Q8 in water deficit condition also indicated that total phenols, total flavonoids, and DPPH radical scavenging activity were significantly greater their controls. In general, the accumulation of individual phenolic acids was increased in exogenous phenolic treatments, as compared with controls. Particularly, Q2 obtained a considerable amount of endogenous PHBA after application of $50{\mu}M\;VA$, $25{\mu}M\;VA+25{\mu}M\;PHBA$, and $50{\mu}M\;VA+50{\mu}M\;PHBA$ (0.18 mg/g DW, 0.71 mg/g DW, and 1.41 mg/g DW, respectively); and a negligible content of VA (0.003 mg/g DW) appeared uniquely in the treatment of $50{\mu}M\;VA$. Similarly, Q8 also absorbed a significant quantity of PHBA in $50{\mu}M\;PHBA$, $25{\mu}M\;VA+25{\mu}M\;PHBA$, and $50{\mu}M\;VA+50{\mu}M\;PHBA$ treatments (0.15 mg/g DW, 0.15 mg/g DW, and 0.22 mg/g DW, respectively). In addition, the spraying $50{\mu}M\;PHBA$ and $25{\mu}M\;VA+25{\mu}M\;PHBA$ on Q8 leaves induced similar amount of drought tolerance of Q2 and Q8 were improved, paralleled with the increased amounts of endogenous phenolics revealed that VA and PHBA played an important role to enhance drought tolerance in rice.