Monitoring of cadmium-induced oxidative stress in Glycine max L. leaves

FELICI, EMILIANO; MOLINA, ALICIA; GIL, RAUL; ANZULOVICH, A; ACOSTA, GIMENA; ZIRULNIK, FANNY; GOMEZ, MARÍA ROXANA

Congreso; XLVI Reunión Anual Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2010

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

Heavy metals induce oxidative stress in plants. Monitoring levels of nitric oxide (NO), chlorophyll and essential elements of the plant are good indicators of oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to quantify oxidative stress parameters in soybean leaves after exposure to abiotic factors such as cadmium. We worked with soybeans germinated and developed under controlled conditions. The fourth day of germination they were placed in hydroponic conditions with Hoagland nutrient solution. On the tenth day they were subjected to intoxication with Cd (40 µM) during 6, 24, 72 h and 6 days. After that time the seedlings were harvested and measurements were made on leaves. Levels of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mg, Zn and Mn were measure in biomass ICP-MS. NO and chlorophylls were determined via colorimetric assays. Cd accumulates in all treated groups. NO measured levels showed a significant increase at 24 and 72 h (p‹0.001). Chlorophylls decreased over treatment with Cd. Mg content showed similar behavior. Antioxidant SOD enzyme-related metals, Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn increased after Cd exposure. In a preliminary work in Vigna mungo L the chlorophyll content decreased and SOD activity increased, in a time-dependent way after treatment with Cd. In this model, we observed that Cd intoxication produces oxidative stress and disturbs the redox status in plants.