Physiological and biochemical responses of the leaves of verbascum wiedemannianum fisch. & mey. to cadmium

Abstract

The effect of cadmium (Cd) on the root and seedling lengths, chlorophyll a, b and proline content, lipid peroxidation and peroxidase activity of Verbascum wiedemannianum has been examined. Plants grown in Van Waes-Deberg culture medium were treated with 0.00 (control), 0.01 mM and 0.025 mM cadmium root and shoot growth was remarkably decreased against 0.01 and 0.025 mM Cd as compared to control group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, which is an index of lipid peroxidation, and guaiacol peroxidase activity (POD) increased approximately as twice as control group in leaves of plants treated with 0.025 mM Cd. Although chlorophyll a and b contents were decreased in response to the increasing of Cd concentration but statistically significant differences were not found in this respect. However, proline content was significantly increased in response to increasing Cd.