Protective effects of humic acid against chromium stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Delabrad-2)

Öz Wheat (T. aestivum) is the world’s most widely cereal crop and is a staple food for a over 50 % world’s population. Soils contaminated with heavy metals may cause deleterious effects on human health. However, humic substances (humic acid and fulvic acid) might benefit plant growth by improving nutrient uptake and the activation of biomass production. Hence, the objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of humic acid (HA) on photosynthetic pigment and malondialdehyde content (MDA) against chromium stress in Triticum aestivum L. cv. Delabrad-2. For this purpose, four Cr treatments (0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.50 mM) were applied to wheat seedlings and the liquid humic acid sprayed on the leaves at 1.5 mg L-1 dose alone or in combination with chromium stress for 21 days. According to our results, the higher concentration of Cr was found in the leaves in comparison with roots and stems of wheat plants. The treatment with 0.6 mM Cr concentration was the most effective for wheat. Total carotenoid, total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a and b contents decreased in groups only chromium compared to HA+Cr groups depending on the increased chromium dose. However, the application of HA increased the chlorophyll a/b ratio and MDA content in plants as compared with Cr treatment alone. We conclude that HA application eliminated the toxicity of Cr stress by modulating the photosynthetic activities in wheat.

___

Adrees M, Ali S, Rizwan M, Rehman MZ, Ibrahim M, Abbas F, Farid M, Qayyum MF, Irshad MK, (2015) Mechanisms of silicon-mediated alleviation of heavy metal toxicity in plants: a review. Ecotoxicol. Environ. 119, 186-197.Ahmed F, Hossain M, Abdullah AT, Akbor M, Ahsan M, (2016) Public health risk assessment of chromium intake from vegetable grown in the wastewater irrigated site in Bangladesh. Pollution 2, 425-432.Ali H, Khan E, Sajad MA, (2013) Phytoremediation of heavy metals-Concepts and applications. Chemosphere. 91, 869-881.Ali S, Bharwana SA, Rizwan M, Farid M, Kanwal S, Ali Q, Khan MD, (2015) Fulvic acid mediates chromium (Cr) tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through lowering of Cr uptake and improved antioxidant defense system. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 22, 10601–10609.Ali S, Muhammad R, Abdul W, Muhammad BH, Afzal H, Shiliang L, Abdulaziz AA, Abeer H, Abd_Allah Elsayed, F, (2018) Fulvic Acid Prevents Chromium-Induced Morphological, Photosynthetic, and Oxidative Alterations in Wheat Irrigated with Tannery Waste Water. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation. 37 (4), 1357–67.Ayaş H, Gülser F, (2005) The effects of sulfur and humic acid on yield components and macronutrient contents of spinach. Journal of Biological Sciences, 5(6), 801-804.Aziz R, Rafiq MT, Li T, Liu D, He Z, Stoffella PJ, Sun KW, Xiaoe Y, (2015) Uptake of cadmium by rice grown on contaminated soils and its bioavailability/toxicity in human cell lines (Caco-2/HL-7702). J Agric Food Chem. 63, 3599–3608.Barbosa RMT, Almeida AAF, Mielke MS, Loguercio LL, Mangabeira PAO, Gomes MFP, (2007) A physiological analysis of Genipa americana L.: A potential phytoremediator tree for chromium polluted watersheds. Environ Exp Bot. 61(3),264-271.Billingham K, (2015) Humic products: potential or presumption for agriculture. Technol Engr. NSW Agriculture.Bukhari SAH, Wang R, Wan, W, Ahmed IM, Zheng W, Cao F, (2016) Genotype-dependent effect of exogenous 24-epibrassinolide on chromium-induced changes in ultrastructure and physicochemical traits in tobacco seedlings. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 23 18229–18238.Chaoui A, Mazhoudi S, Ghorbal MH, El-Ferjani E, (1997) Cadmium and zinc induction of lipid peroxidation and effects on antioxidant enzyme activities in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Plant Science. 127, 139–147.Chattopadhyay B, Utpal S, Mukhopadhyay S, (2010) Mobility and bioavailability of chromium in the environment: physico-chemical and microbial oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI). J. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage. 14, 97–101.Chen Y, Aviad T, (1990) Effects of Humic Substances on Plant Growth: Selected Readings. Humic Substances in Soil and Crop Sciences. In: Soil. Sci. Soc. Am.(Ed:by MacCarthy, P., C.E. Clapp, R.L. Malcolm and P.R. Bloom), pp: 161-186, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.Chen Y, Shen Z, Li X, (2004) The use of vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) in the phytoremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals. Applied Geochemistry 19, 1553–1565.Davies FT, Puryear JD, Newton RJ, Egilla JN, Grossi JAS, (2002) Mycorrhizal fungi increase chromium uptake by sunflower plants: influence on tissue mineral concentration, growth, and gas exchange. J Plant Nutr. 25, 2389–407.Dhir B, Sharmila P, Saradhi PP, (2004) Hydrophytes lack potential to exhibit cadmium stress induced enhancement in lipid peroxidation and accumulation of proline. Aquat. Toxicol. 66, 141–147.