FIGURE 2.

Changes in vase life, relative fresh weight (RFW), and flower diameter of cut carnations and dissolved H₂ in solution subjected to MgH₂, citrate buffer solution (CBS), MgH₂-CBS, heated MgH₂-CBS, and hydrogen-rich water (HRW). (A) Representative photographs of cut flowers (scale bar = 2 cm). Cut flower stems were incubated in untreated (control) and treatment solutions containing 0.1 g L^–1 MgH₂, 0.1-M CBS (pH 3.4) with or without 0.01, 0.1, and 1 g L^–1 MgH₂, 10% electrolytic HRW during vase period. Afterward, vase life (B), RFW (C), maximum flower diameter (D), and H₂ content in solutions (E) were expressed as mean ± standard error (SE). There were three replicates and 10 flowers per each for (A–D), and three replicates per each for (E). Experiments were conducted for three times. Bars with different letters are significantly different (P < 0.05), as determined by Duncan’s multiple range test.