Efficiency of antioxidative system in spinach plants growing in soil contaminated with nickel

Abstract

The paper attempted to assess the activity of antioxidative system in cells of spinach plant, ‘Matador’ c.v., growing in the soil contaminated with Ni. Plant material for analyses was obtained from two pot experiments conducted in 2010 and 2011 in the vegetation hall of the Experimental Station of the University of Agriculture in Krakow. Ni content in the plant aboveground parts was assessed by ICP-ES method, contents of reduced glutathione form by colorimetry and ascorbic acid by titrimetric method. Nickel content in spinach aboveground parts ranged from 2.00 to 204.5 mg kg d.m. and increased with growing substratum pollution with this element and usually with plant age. The plants contained from 31 to 238 g GSH g f.m. In the first three objects with 0, I and II degree of substratum pollution according to IUNG classification, this antioxidant contents were higher in comparison with its amount in plants from the control and objects with lower degree of pollution. In the object with the highest nickel dose application, GSH content in plants decreased significantly in comparison with plants from the other objects, while the plants on this object died shortly after germination. Ascorbic acid content in spinach in the both years of experiments ranged from 24.13 to 73.09 mg 100 g f.m. and increased in plants from the successive objects with growing substratum contamination with nickel. In the first phase of growth spinach plants contained generally much more of GSH and AsA, which indicated much better efficiency of the antioxidative system at the initial period of growth.