Involvement of Excess Cadmium on Oxidative Stress and Other Physiological Parameters of Eggplant

Abstract

ABSTRACT To examine tolerance of cadmium (Cd) by eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) cv. ‘Hybrid PK 123’, plants were grown in refined sand in complete nutrient solution for 52 days in a glasshouse at ambient temperature. Cadmium sulfate was superimposed on day 53, at variable levels: nil, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.5 mM. Influence of excess Cd was discernible after 5 days of metal supply at 0.4 and 0.5 mM Cd as depression in growth. At these levels, foliar symptoms were initiated as paling of young leaves at the base progressing upward. With increase in age, affected leaves turned golden yellow and these effects spread to lower leaves. Leaf size and floral initiation were very much restricted. These types of phenotypes induced leaf senescence. Excess Cd reduced the biomass and fruit yield of plants. At higher levels (>0.1 mM) of Cd, fruit formation was completely inhibited and fruits formed at 0.05 and 0.1 mM Cd were smaller in size. Besides this, excess Cd disturbed the metabolism of eggplant by reducing the concentration of chlorophyll (a and b), protein, Hill reaction activity, and activity of antioxidant enzymes—catalase and ascorbate peroxidase; whereas the activity of peroxidase and ribonuclease increased in leaves of eggplant. Cadmium excess reduced the concentration of Fe and Zn and Cd increased that of proline, lipid peroxidation, phenols, reducing sugars and Cd concentration in leaves of eggplant.