Abstract
The effects of chlorine dioxide, ClO2, on the germination, oxidative metabolism and growth of barley seedlings were investigated. Barley seeds were separately treated with 0, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg.L−1 ClO2 solutions. Differences in the percentage of seed germination were observed in treatments with 1000 and 2000 mg.L−1 ClO2 solutions only. However, 1000 and 2000 mg.L−1 ClO2 significantly decreased the germination percentage. No significant difference in the MDA content, electrolyte leakage and amount of chlorophyll was observed in seedlings germinated from seeds treated with 0, 500 and 1000 mg.L−1 of ClO2. Similarly, POD and CAT activities showed no significant differences in seedlings germinated from seeds treated with 0 and 500 mg.L−1 while with 1000 mg.L−1 ClO2 there was an increase of these activities. Although there was no significant difference in the above ground part fresh weight between barley seedlings in which seeds were treated with distilled water and ClO2, the fresh weight of barley roots in which seeds were treated with ClO2 was significantly higher than that of control. The total length of barley roots and the number of roots were also increased. The lignin content of barley roots was markly reduced. Staining with Evans blue indicated that barley roots were not obviously damaged. Furtherly, the stimulation of the cell membrane H+-ATPase activity and root activity were observed to be induced by ClO2.
Highlights
Different microorganisms can contaminate barley from field through storage[1]
Treated with 1000 mg.L−1 ClO2, the germination percentage decreased 94.5% compared with control (0 mg.L−1 ClO2 (CK))
No significant differences were observed in the percentage of seeds germinated between seeds treated with 500 mg.L−1 ClO2 and non-treated ones
Summary
Different microorganisms can contaminate barley from field through storage[1]. The malting and brewing industries are reluctant to accept mycotoxin-contaminated grain because of concerns over public safety, public perception, and product quality[2,3,4,5]. Two chemical agents of interest for reducing microorganisms in malting barley include ozone and hydrogen peroxide. Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) has long been known to have fungicidal, bactericidal and viricidal properties, which inactivate a wide range of microorganisms effectively, as shown by numerous studies[9]. For this reason, ClO2 has widely been applied in many fields such as quarantine procedures, medical, agricultural, and industrial sterilization measures, food preservation, etc. The inconsistent effects of chlorine dioxide on the germination and growth of barley seedlings has seemed to restrict its application in the food and malting industries. The main goal of this study was to evaluate ClO2 effects of on the germination, oxidative metabolism and growth of barley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L.)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
