Physiological and biochemical alterations induced by hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) in pot-cultured wheat and rice seedlings
Cr6+ stress responses in wheat and rice seedlings
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Authors
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Kambaska Kumar Behera
Department of Pharmacognosy, AIPER, Cuttack-754022, Odisha, India
Keywords:
Chromium stress, chelating agents, antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic pigments, proline accumulation, biomass reduction, phytoremediation, oxidative stress, pot-cultureAbstract
Chromium (Cr6+) is a highly toxic heavy metal that adversely affects plant growth, physiology, and metabolism. This study evaluated the physio-biochemical responses of pot-cultured wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. HD-2932) and rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Lalata) seedlings under varying Cr6+ concentrations, along with the ameliorative effects of chelating agents, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Chromium exposure significantly reduced shoot and root growth, biomass, and photosynthetic pigments in a concentration-dependent manner, with maximum reductions of 64.3% in wheat and 32.3% in rice at 80 mg L-¹. Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents declined markedly due to oxidative damage and impaired biosynthesis. Biochemically, protein and soluble sugar contents decreased, whereas proline accumulation increased, indicating stress-induced metabolic disruption. Antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POX), were significantly enhanced, reflecting increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging.
Chelator application alleviated Cr6+ toxicity, with DTPA showing greater efficacy than EDTA. DTPA improved growth, pigment stability, and biochemical attributes, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, particularly in roots. At 20 mg L-¹ Cr6+, DTPA increased wheat shoot length, chlorophyll-a, protein content, and SOD activity compared to untreated controls. Overall, DTPA effectively reduced Cr toxicity and oxidative stress, suggesting its potential role in phytoremediation and improving crop tolerance under chromium-contaminated conditions.
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