CHROMIUM TOXICITY AFFECTS ANTIOXIDANT ENZYME ACTIVITY IN
SORGHUM BICOLOR (L.)
SWEETY SIHAG*, NEHA WADHWA AND U. N. JOSHI
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
CCS Haryana Agricultural University,
Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail : sweetypoonia2011@gmail.com)
(Received : 10 June 2016; Accepted : 27 June 2016)
SUMMARY
A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of varying Cr (VI) levels [0.0-4.0 mg Cr (VI)/kg soil in the form of potassium dichromate] on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and their metabolites in sorghum. The present investigation showed that the enzyme activity of peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and their metabolites in leaves and stem of the plant at different growth stages i. e. 35, 70 and 90 days after sowing (DAS) were adversely affected with an increase in Cr (VI) levels from 0.0 to 4.0 mg Cr (VI)/kg soil. A significant decrease in the peroxidase activity and increase in ascorbate peroxidase activity was observed with increase in chromium concentration in the soil. The increase in activity of peroxidase consumed hydrogen peroxide and thus it resulted in decrease of hydrogen peroxide content, while due to decrease in activity of ascorbate peroxidase, ascorbate content get increased by Cr (VI) application.
Key words:Antioxidant enzymes, chromium, metal toxicity, Sorghum bicolor