Paper · 2026 · Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology

Ultrasound technology restores germination potential and seedling vigor in artificially aged seeds

António Nogueira; Hélder Puga; Joana T. Martins; et al.

11
claims
20
verbatim quotes
0
citations
1
research areas
✓
Open access · cc-by

Abstract

Seed longevity and quality are crucial for agricultural sustainability, as aging negatively affects germination and seedling vigor. Prolonged storage and unfavorable environmental conditions promote oxidative stress, leading to lipid peroxidation, enzyme inactivation, and reduced antioxidant capacity. This study explored ultrasound technology as a novel, eco-friendly approach to counteract these aging-induced effects in pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) seeds. Seeds underwent artificial aging followed by ultrasound treatment (19.8 kHz, 200 W, 7.5 min), a process proposed to enhance seed coat permeability, water uptake and gas exchange through cavitation-induced physical effects, thereby facilitating metabolic reactivation, potentially involving modulation of hormone-regulated germination pathways. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed distinct clustering of aged and ultrasound-treated seeds, indicating enhanced germination performance, antioxidant activity, and enzymatic defenses. Post-ultrasound treatment, germination rates increased significantly, by 340% in pea and 38% in turnip, compared to aged controls. Additionally, both species exhibited a 69% improvement in germination value, while turnip seeds showed faster germination. At the biochemical level, ultrasound increased chlorophyll content (57% in pea and full restoration in turnip) and reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, reflecting reduced oxidative damage. Moreover, antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), alongside total antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays), were generally enhanced after ultrasound treatment and, in some cases, restored to levels comparable to non-aged seeds. These findings suggested that ultrasound treatment alleviates the seed aging effects by improving membrane integrity and redox homeostasis, thereby mitigating age-related physiological and biochemical deterioration. Consequently, ultrasound treatment emerges as a promising priming strategy for enhancing seed vigor, germination uniformity, and early seedling establishment under aging stress conditions. • Ultrasound improves germination in aged pea and turnip seeds by up to 340% and 38%. • Treatment reduces oxidative damage and MDA levels in aged seeds and seedlings. • Ultrasound treatment restores antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT) to levels observed in non-aged seeds. • Ultrasound improves chlorophyll and carotenoids in seedlings from aged seeds. • A scalable, eco-friendly method for reviving seed vigor and crop establishment.

Abstract from the paper’s OpenAlex record; open copy licensed cc-by. Read at the source ↗

The text the model read, with the source record’s inline markup (italics, sub- and superscripts) rendered and its character entities decoded; quote offsets refer to the raw text.

Claims 11

Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Ultrasound treatment increased germination rate in aged pea seeds by 340% relative to aged controls.

Organ / stage
seedse1
Treatment
ultrasound treatmente2
Outcome
germination ratese2
Direction
increasede2
Value
340%e2
Comparator
aged controlse2

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lathyrus oleraceus
Lathyrus oleraceus · TaxonRenee Comet (photographer) AV Number: AV-9400-4164 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“counteract these aging-induced effects in pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 382–482 · show in text ↑
e2

“Post-ultrasound treatment, germination rates increased significantly, by 340% in pea and 38% in turnip, compared to aged controls”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1021–1150 · show in text ↑
Intervention effectobservedoriginal resultpositivesignificant (as stated)measured

Claim · model-written summary

Ultrasound treatment increased germination rate in aged turnip seeds by 38% relative to aged controls.

Organ / stage
seedse1
Treatment
ultrasound treatmente2
Outcome
germination ratese2
Direction
increasede2
Value
38%e2
Comparator
aged controlse2

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“counteract these aging-induced effects in pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 382–482 · show in text ↑
e2

“Post-ultrasound treatment, germination rates increased significantly, by 340% in pea and 38% in turnip, compared to aged controls”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1021–1150 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Pea seeds showed a 69% improvement in germination value after ultrasound treatment.

Outcome
germination valuee3
Value
69%e3

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lathyrus oleraceus
Lathyrus oleraceus · TaxonRenee Comet (photographer) AV Number: AV-9400-4164 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“counteract these aging-induced effects in pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 382–482 · show in text ↑
e3

“both species exhibited a 69% improvement in germination value”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1166–1227 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Turnip seeds showed a 69% improvement in germination value after ultrasound treatment.

Outcome
germination valuee3
Value
69%e3

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e3

“both species exhibited a 69% improvement in germination value”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1166–1227 · show in text ↑
e4

“while turnip seeds showed faster germination”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1229–1273 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Turnip seeds germinated faster after ultrasound treatment.

Outcome
germinatione4
Qualifier
fastere4

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e4

“while turnip seeds showed faster germination”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1229–1273 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Ultrasound increased chlorophyll content in pea by 57%.

Treatment
ultrasounde5
Outcome
chlorophyll contente5
Direction
increasede5
Value
57%e5

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Lathyrus oleraceus
Lathyrus oleraceus · TaxonRenee Comet (photographer) AV Number: AV-9400-4164 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e5

“ultrasound increased chlorophyll content (57% in pea and full restoration in turnip)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1301–1385 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Ultrasound fully restored chlorophyll content in turnip.

Treatment
ultrasounde5
Outcome
chlorophyll contente5
Direction
full restoratione5

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa · TaxonRasbak · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e5

“ultrasound increased chlorophyll content (57% in pea and full restoration in turnip)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1301–1385 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Ultrasound treatment reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in aged pea and turnip seeds, reflecting reduced oxidative damage.

Taxon
pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.)Brassica rapaLathyrus oleraceuse1
Treatment
ultrasounde5
Outcome
malondialdehyde (MDA) levelse6
Direction
reducede6

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Brassica rapa
Brassica rapa · TaxonAris riyanto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Lathyrus oleraceus
Lathyrus oleraceus · TaxonRenee Comet (photographer) AV Number: AV-9400-4164 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“counteract these aging-induced effects in pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 382–482 · show in text ↑
e5

“ultrasound increased chlorophyll content (57% in pea and full restoration in turnip)”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1301–1385 · show in text ↑
e6

“reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, reflecting reduced oxidative damage”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1390–1467 · show in text ↑
Associationobservedoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Ultrasound treatment enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and total antioxidant capacity, and in some cases restored them to levels comparable to non-aged seeds.

Taxon
pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.)Brassica rapaLathyrus oleraceuse1
Treatment
ultrasound treatmente7
Outcome
antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), alongside total antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays)e7
Direction
enhancede7
Qualifier
in some cases, restored to levels comparable to non-aged seedse7

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Brassica rapa
Brassica rapa · TaxonAris riyanto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Lathyrus oleraceus
Lathyrus oleraceus · TaxonRenee Comet (photographer) AV Number: AV-9400-4164 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“counteract these aging-induced effects in pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 382–482 · show in text ↑
e7

“antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), alongside total antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays), were generally enhanced after ultrasound treatment and, in some cases, restored to levels comparable to non-aged seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1479–1753 · show in text ↑
Observationobservedoriginal resultmeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Principal Component Analysis revealed distinct clustering of aged and ultrasound-treated seeds.

Taxon
pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.)Brassica rapaLathyrus oleraceuse1
Outcome
distinct clustering of aged and ultrasound-treated seedse7

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Brassica rapa
Brassica rapa · TaxonAris riyanto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Lathyrus oleraceus
Lathyrus oleraceus · TaxonRenee Comet (photographer) AV Number: AV-9400-4164 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“counteract these aging-induced effects in pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 382–482 · show in text ↑
e7

“Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed distinct clustering of aged and ultrasound-treated seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 828–928 · show in text ↑
Mechanismauthor interpretationoriginal resultpositivemeasured

Claim · model-written summary

Ultrasound treatment alleviates seed aging effects by improving membrane integrity and redox homeostasis.

Taxon
pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.)Brassica rapaLathyrus oleraceuse1
Treatment
ultrasound treatmente6
Outcome
seed aging effectse6
Qualifier
improving membrane integrity and redox homeostasise6

Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Brassica rapa
Brassica rapa · TaxonAris riyanto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons ↗
Lathyrus oleraceus
Lathyrus oleraceus · TaxonRenee Comet (photographer) AV Number: AV-9400-4164 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons ↗

Verbatim

e1

“counteract these aging-induced effects in pea ( Pisum sativum ) and turnip ( Brassica rapa L.) seeds”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 382–482 · show in text ↑
e6

“ultrasound treatment alleviates the seed aging effects by improving membrane integrity and redox homeostasis”

✓ located verbatim in the source · abstract, characters 1785–1893 · show in text ↑

physical treatment · growth · Lathyrus oleraceus (pea)Positive and negative results

9 papers: 6 positive, 3 negative or no effect

5 papers in the same direction as this paper · 3 in the opposite direction

  1. positive
  2. negative
  3. negative

5 papers more in this group

See all 9 papers →

physical treatment · growth · Brassica rapa (field mustard)Results agree

8 papers: 8 positive, 0 negative or no effect

7 papers in the same direction as this paper

  1. positive
  2. positive
  3. positive

4 papers more in this group

See all 8 papers →

Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.