Abstract: To investigate the physiological response of Helianthus tuberosus suspension cells to salt stress, biomass, viability, activity of antioxidant enzyme, the contents of hydrogen peroxide, malonaldehyde, proline, soluble sugar, soluble protein, total phenols were measured, and 14 phenolic compounds of suspension cells were analyzed under the treatments of 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mmol·L^-1 NaCl. The salt stress markedly weakened the H.tuberosus suspension cell viability, and the growth of suspension cells was obviously inhibited. Under the condition of 200 mmol·L^-1NaCl treatment, suspension cells almost stopped growing. Salt stress induced the oxidative stress, the content of malonaldehyde significantly increased, the activity of ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, the content of total phenols and part phenolic compounds increased with the increasing concentration of NaCl. Both phenolic compounds and antioxidant enzyme system participated in antioxidative process. Proline played an important role in the osmoregulation of H.tuberosus suspension cells responding to NaCl osmotic stress, meanwhile, the soluble sugar had little effect.