Magnesium Hydride Confers Osmotic Tolerance in Mung Bean Seedlings by Promoting Ascorbate–Glutathione Cycle

Despite substantial evidence suggesting that hydrogen gas (H₂) can enhance osmotic tolerance in plants, the conventional supply method of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) poses challenges for large-scale agricultural applications. Recently, magnesium hydride (MgH₂), a hydrogen storage material in industry, has been reported to yield beneficial effects in plants. This study aimed to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of MgH₂ in plants under osmotic stress. Mung bean seedlings were cultured under control conditions or with 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000, with or without MgH₂ addition (0.01 g L^-1). Under our experimental conditions, the MgH₂ solution maintained a higher H₂ content and longer retention time than HRW. Importantly, PEG-stimulated endogenous H₂ production was further triggered by MgH₂ application. Further results revealed that MgH₂ significantly alleviated the inhibition of seedling growth and reduced oxidative damage induced by osmotic stress. Pharmacological evidence suggests the MgH₂-reestablished redox homeostasis was associated with activated antioxidant systems, particularly the ascorbate-glutathione cycle. The above observations were further supported by the enhanced activities and gene transcriptional levels of ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione reductase. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of MgH₂ in mitigating osmotic stress in mung bean seedlings, providing novel insights into the potential agricultural applications of hydrogen storage materials.