Increasing the resistance of barley sprouts by priming with heavy metal salts

Abstract

The article investigated the different concentrations of cadmium and lead salts influence to the growth and development of barley plant shoots. As a response of sprouts to the action of lead and cadmium ions, changes in the accumulation of their wet and dry biomass, the height of the sprouts, as well as survival were evaluated. Since CdCl2 and Pb(CH3COO)2 belong to the group of heavy metals with a strong toxic effect, when they are individually administered, there is a decrease in the growth of shoots and a slowdown in development due to the accumulation of wet and dry biomass of the plant. While inhibition of sprouts at a concentration of Pb(CH3COO)2 0.5-10 mM reduced sprouts by 2-10 times, the effect of CdCl2 on barley sprouts in high concentrations led to a halt in the accumulation of dry mass. Processing of barley sprouts before sowing with a low concentration of lead and cadmium salts increases their resistance to metals and allows in the future to transport the effects of high concentrations of these substances without damage and with minimal inhibition of growth processes. In addition, these metals are powerful inducers of phytochelatin synthesis. Thus, the accumulation of osmoprotectants is unlikely to play an important role in cell detoxification from heavy metals. Apparently, the possible role of the accumulation of osmoprotectants in the presence of heavy metals is not necessarily associated with metal chelation. First, heavy metals usually disrupt the water balance in the cell. It is known that water deficiency always leads to the accumulation of osmoprotectants in the plant cell. The accumulation function of osmoprotectants caused by heavy metals may be more associated with osmoregulation and enzyme protection against dehydration than with direct metal chelation.

Keywords: the growth and development of barley sprouts, lead and cadmium salts, priming, stability.