Senescence is an integral part of the normal developmental cycle of plants and can be traced in cell, tissue and organ level. This work was focused on the efficiency of post-harvest treatment with the free polyamine spermine (Spm) to extend the vase life of cut rose flowers as an anti-senescence compound. Spm treatment was applied at the rates of 0, 1, 2 and 4 mM. Some morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics of tested cut roses (Rosa hybrida cv. ‘Dolce Vita’) such as; flower diameter, water uptake, relative fresh weight, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde content, guiacole peroxidase activity, hydrogen peroxide content and vase life were evaluated. The effects of a pulsing application of the polyamine on the mentioned traits were significant and treatment with Spm effectively delayed the senescence of roses, especially when applied at 4 mM concentration. Polyamine treatment resulted in a notable decrease in petal electrolyte leakage due to its cationic and anti-peroxidative characters. In addition to the anti-ethylene property, the cationic character of polyamines may play an important role in determining the vase life of cut flowers.
