Antioxidant capacity and cadmium accumulation in parsley seedlings exposed to cadmium stress

WOS:000412937200011 Parsley (Petroselinum hortense L.) plants cultivated under controlled conditions were exposed to different doses of cadmium to investigate the antioxidant capacity and cadmium accumulation in the samples. Two-months-old parsley seedlings were treated with four different concentrations of CdCl2 (0, 75, 150, and 300 mu M) for fifteen days. Cadmium level in leaves increased significantly by increasing the Cd contamination in the soil. Total chlorophyll and carotenoid content declined considerably with Cd concentration. Cd treatment caused a significant increase lipid peroxidation in tissue of leaf. Superoxide dismutase activity (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) increased partially at 75 and 150 mu M CdCl2 concentrations whereas the activity decreased at 300 mu M CdCl2. Catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) activities were reduced by Cd application. Total phenolic compound amount increased significantly with increasing Cd concentration, as ferric reduction power, superoxide anion radical, and DPPHE (TM) free radical scavenging activities elevated slightly by the concentration. These results suggest that antioxidant enzymes activities were repressed depending on accumulation of cadmium in leaves of parsley while the non-enzymatic antioxidant activities slightly increased. Gaziosmanpasa University Unit for Scientific Research Projects [2005/25] This work was supported by the Gaziosmanpasa University Unit for Scientific Research Projects, project no. 2005/25.