Abstract: Effect of different concentrations of ZnSO4 (0, 500, 1 000, 2 000, 4 000 μmol·L-1)on the physiological characters in three vegetables of rape, lettuce and crown daisy was studied to investigate Zn toxicity mechanism. After 5 days stress, the results showed that SOD activity of rapeseed increased with the increase of Zn concentration, but SOD activity of lettuce decreased and SOD activity of crown daisy firstly decreased and then increased. POD activity of three vegetables firstly decreased and then increased. But the MDA content showed a pattern of “increase-decrease-increase”, and the highest MDA content was observed when Zn concentration was 500 μmol·L-1.Vitamin C content of rape decreased, but vitamin C content of lettuce firstly decreased and then increased and crown daisy showed contrary trend.

Key words: vegetable seedlings, Zn, physiological and biochemical characters