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The effect of different chromium [Cr(VI)] concentrations (0, 75, 150 and 225 μM) on dehydrogenase activity, total soluble protein, proline, malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes was investigated in the roots of two barley cultivars (Cr-tolerant Zeynelağa and Cr-sensitive Orza-96) in hydroponic experiments. The root dehydrogenase activity and protein content decreased with an increase in the Cr(VI) concentration, but no significant difference was found between the two barley cultivars. Cr(VI) stress increased the contents of proline and MDA in both cultivars, but this effect was more pronounced in Orza-96 than in Zeynelağa. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaiacol peroxidase (POD), exhibited changes. The SOD activity increased in Zeynelağa and decreased in Orza-96 at 225 μM Cr(VI) compared to their controls. Cr(VI) stress decreased the APX and POD activities. Zeynelağa had greater APX activity than Orza-96 at 150 and 225 μM Cr(VI). However, there was no marked difference in POD activities between the two cultivars. The decrease in root dehydrogenase activity and protein content, the increase in proline and lipid peroxidation, and the alterations in the activities of antioxidant enzymes may be indicative of oxidative stress induced by Cr(VI).
We aimed to examine the response of three tomato introgression lines (IL925.3, IL925.5 and IL925.6) to NaCl stress. These lines originated from a cross between M82 (Solanum lycopersicum) and the wild salttolerant tomato Solanum pennellii, each line containing a different fragment of the S.pennellii genome. Salt-sensitive phenotypes related to plant growth and physiology, and the response of antioxidants, pigments and antioxidant enzymes were measured. In general, salt stress decreased the fresh weight of leaves, leaf area and leaf number and an increase of Na+ accumulation in aerial parts was observed, which caused a reduction in the absorption of K+ and Ca2+. Salt stress also induced a decrease in chlorophyll, carotenoids and lipid peroxidation (MDA) and an increase in anthocyanins and reduced ascorbate, although some differences were seen between the lines, for example for carotenoid levels. Guaiacol peroxidase, catalase and glutathione reductase activity enhanced in aerial parts of the lines, but again some differences were seen between the three lines. It is concluded that IL925.5 might be the most sensitive line to salt stress as its dry weight loss was the greatest in response to salt and this line showed the highest Na+ ion accumulation in leaves.
In wheat, Fusarium fungus promotes the appearance of destructive disease named as Fusarium head blight (FHB) that can cause grain yield reduction and mycotoxin accumulation. The focus of this research was to verify the influence of Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum on wheat genotypes with different susceptibility to FHB: “Super Žitarka” (susceptible), “Lucija” (moderately resistant) and “Apache” (resistant). The experiment was performed under field conditions by artificial spore inoculation of ears at the flowering stage. The effectiveness of antioxidative enzymes, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were observed at several sampling points after Fusarium inoculation (3, 15 and 24 hours). “Lucija” responded to pathogen by increase of guaiacol peroxidase (POD) activity, high H2O2 and MDA content in the early post-inoculation times (3 and 15 hours), compared to control. “Super Žitarka” displayed inhibition of catalase (CAT) activity throughout the whole time course of the experiment. Infected plants of “Apache” showed notable decline in MDA content over time. Moreover, in “Apache” increased H2O2 accumulation was observed immediately after Fusarium exposure (3 and 15 hours), compared to 24 hours. Rapid overproduction of H2O2 under Fusarium stress marked “Apache” as FHB-resistant.
Six wheat cultivars, namely PBW 343, PBW 550 (stress susceptible), PBW 621, PBW 175 (drought tolerant), C 306 and HD 2967 (heat tolerant), were used in this study to evaluate the effect of heat and drought stress on the activities of peroxidases (POXs), diamine oxidase (DAO), polyamine oxidase (PAO) and arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in relation to contents of polyamines (PAs), lipid peroxide and lignin. High temperature (HT) elevated activities of syringaldazine peroxidase (SPX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and coniferyl alcohol peroxidase (CPX) in heat tolerant cultivars while, drought stress accentuated ADC/ODC activities in drought tolerant cultivars. Both heat and drought stress enhanced activities of DAO and PAO alongwith contents of H2O2 in PBW 175 and C 306. Amongst studied POXs, SPX activity was relatively more and coincided well with lignin content under HT stress while, the levels of ADC/ODC paralleled with putrescine and spermidine contents under drought stress. Higher build up of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in cultivars PBW 343 and PBW 550 indicated their membrane instability during both the stresses. Our results revealed that SPX mediated lignification leading to higher cell wall rigidity under heat stress and drought increased PAs involved in ROS scavenging due to presence of positive charges which can bind strongly to the negative charges in cellular components such as proteins and phospholipids and thereby stabilize the membranes under stress conditions.
Bio-oil is produced by biomass pyrolysis. It contains hundreds of chemical compounds including alkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, acids, alcohols, and phenols. Phenols are compounds of increasing interest; they can be used as feedstock in many industrial applications such as the production of fuel additives, chemical synthesis, or as food antioxidants. Therefore, the valorization of phenols stemming from bio-oil can be an appropriated alternative to reduce the dependence on petro-based phenols in the chemical industry. The most important phenols in biooil from agricultural wastes are phenol, guaiacol, cresols, syringol, and xylenol. These compounds were separated by silica gel column chromatography technique, using 3 different solvents: a dichloromethane—acetone mixture, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Column elution was followed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Phenolic fraction was obtained and not individual phenols. This fraction was analyzed using gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC—FID) and gas chromatography—gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC—MS) with a DB-1701 column, and it was quantified using the relative response factor. Dichloromethane—acetone mixture was the best eluent to obtain this phenolic fraction, specifically during the first three elution steps.
The impacts of climate modification were examined in terms of changes in the stress tolerance of winter wheat varieties. The enzyme reactions of two winter wheat varieties to drought stress, simulated by water withholding in three different phenophases, were analysed in a phytotron experiment in the Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Plants were raised either at ambient CO2 level or at twice this concentration. The quantities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were determined from leaf samples collected at the end of the drought treatment.The results showed that antioxidant enzymes may help to counterbalance the reactive oxygen species induced by stress during various stages of the vegetation period. Although there were substantial differences in the changes induced in the activity of individual enzymes by modifications in environmental factors, this activity and its response to stress depended not only on these factors, but also on the developmental stage of the plant. Modifications in enzyme activity could indicate that enhanced CO2 concentration delayed the development of drought stress up to first node appearance, and stimulated antioxidant enzyme activity when drought occurred during ripening.
The effect of extensive urban dust pollution, caused mainly by road traffic, on some biochemical and structural characteristics of current-year Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) needles was investigated. Two categories of needle samples were formed according to the data about the pollution levels obtained from the Croatian National Institute of Public Health: less and more affected. Apoplastic guaiacol peroxidases were used as the molecular stress markers. Peroxidase activity was doubled in more affected needles compared with the less affected ones. Also, the electrophoretic pattern of samples extracted from more affected needles revealed the expression of additional isozyme band, which could be attributed to the activation of detoxifying mechanisms. Anatomy of more affected needles was changed as well. Necrosis of needle mesophyll usually connected with the stomata was the most outstanding character. Also, distortions of sieve cells were present in the same needle samples indicating possible disturbances in mineral nutrition. The obtained results showed that needles of Norway spruce trees that are exposed to the higher pollution level undergoes to both structural and biochemical changes. Besides of the described changes, the investigated spruce trees are able to survive in more polluted environment as well.
The correspondence among apoplastic and symplastic antioxidant status, stomatal conductance and water potential was investigated during leaf rolling in Ctenanthe setosa (Rosc.) Eichler (Marantaceae) under drought stress. Apoplastic and symplastic extractions of leaf and petiole were performed at different visual leaf rolling scores from 1 to 4 (1 is unrolled, 4 is tightly rolled and the others are intermediate form). In the leaf symplast, the highest changes were found in catalase (CAT) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activities when compared to score 1 during leaf rolling. No significant change was observed in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities in the symplast of leaf during the rolling. The same phenomenon was also present in the symplast of petiole except APX activity. In the leaf apoplast, the highest increase occurred in APX and GPX activities, whilst a slight increase in CAT and SOD activities. In the apoplast of petiole, the highest increment was found only in GPX activity, while there were small increases in SOD, APX and CAT activities. Hydrogen peroxide content increased up to score 3 in the apoplast and symplast of leaf and petiole but then slightly decreased. Also, superoxide production increased in the leaf and petiole apoplast but its quantity in the apoplast was much more than that of the symplast. On the other hand, NAD(P)H oxidase activity increased in the leaf but no change was observed in the petiole. In conclusion, as a result of water deficit during leaf rolling antioxidant enzymes are induced to scavenging of ROS produced in symplast and apoplast.
Aerobic rice offers an attractive alternative approach over transplanting system as it consumes less water with low labour expenses. Flag leaf of six rice cultivars, viz. PR 120, PR 115, PR 116, Feng Ai Zan, PAU 201 and Punjab Mehak 1 was analysed for antioxidant defence mechanism and polyamine catabolism under the aerobic and the transplanting conditions. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), diamine oxidase (DAO) and polyamine oxidase (PAO) activities increased gradually from tillering to anthesis stage and then declined towards maturity stage under both planting conditions. Apparently, contents of ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, proline and polyamines (PAs) also revealed similar trend. The aerobic condition elevated activities of PAO, SOD as well as contents of PAs, lipid peroxide and H2O2 whereas the transplanting condition had higher levels of APX, GPX, CAT and total antioxidant activities and contents of ascorbate, α-tocopherol and proline. Cultivars Feng Ai Zan, PR 115 and PR 120 exhibited superior tolerance over other cultivars by accumulating higher contents of PAs with increasing levels of PAO and SOD activities under the aerobic condition. However, under the transplanting condition PR 116 and PAU 201 showed higher activities of antioxidative enzymes with decreasing contents of lipid peroxide and H2O2. We infer that under the aerobic condition, enhancement of PAs and PAO activity enabled rice cultivars to tolerate oxidative stress, while under the transplanting condition, antioxidative defence system with decreasing of lipid peroxide content was closely associated with the protection of flag leaf by maintaining membrane integrity. In crux, results indicated that H2O2 metabolic machinery was strongly up-regulated especially at the anthesis stage.
Thermofractography (TF) has been applied to humic and fulvic acids from four different soil types. Among the thermal products, 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, catechol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, vanillin, phenol, furfural, guaiacol and indole were identified. These are typical fragments from lignins, microbial polyphenols, polysaccharides and proteins.
