Antioxidant responses in soybean and alfalfa plants grown in DDTs contaminated soils: Useful variables for selecting plants for soil phytoremediation?

MITTON, FRANCESCA; RIBAS FERREIRA JOSENCLER; GONZALEZ MARIANA; MIGLIORANZA KARINA SILVIA BEATRIZ; MONSERRAT JOSE M

PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016 vol. 130 p. 17 - 21

0048-3575

Phytoremediation is a low-cost alternative technology based on the use of plants to remove pollutants from theenvironment. Persistent organic pollutants such as DDTs with a long half-life in soils are attractive candidates forremediation. This study aimed to determine the potential of antioxidant response use in the evaluation of plants´tolerance for selecting species in phytoremediation purposes. Alfalfa and soybean plants were grown in DDTcontaminated soils. After 60 days, growth, protein content, antioxidant capacity, GST activity, concentration ofproteic and non-proteic thiol groups, chlorophyll content and carotenoid content were measured in plant tissues.Results showed no effect on alfalfa or soybean photosynthetic pigments but different responses in the proteincontent, antioxidant capacity, GST activity and thiol groups on roots, stems and leaves, indicating that DDTsaffected both species. Soybean showed higher susceptibility than alfalfa plants due to the lower antioxidantcapacity and GST activity in leaves, in spite of having the lowest DDT accumulation. This study provides newinsights into the role of oxidative stress as an important component of the plant´s response to DDT exposure.