Physiological Studies on the Role of Cyanobacteria in Ameliorating the Toxic Effects of Copper in Trigonella foenum gracum: Thesis Abstract

Abstract

Thesis Abstract A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to assess the possible effects of Nostoc muscorum (2 g/ kg soil fresh pellets) on the growth and some metabolic activities of Trigonella foenum gracum at 30, 60 days of growth and the yield under different concentrations of CuSO4. Application of Nostoc in a mixture with Cu significantly increased all growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments and activity, soluble and insoluble nitrogen at 30 and 60 days of growth when compared with their counterparts of Cu treatment. In addition, the content of K+, Ca2+, P3+ and iron were increased except for a decrease in Cu level at 60 days of growth. On the other hand, the content of starch and peptides were significantly decreased at 30 and 60 days of growth. Moreover, the activity of both POD and SOD were reduced by applying Nostoc to the soil having different concentrations of Cu. Biochemical analysis of the yielded seeds of Trigonella revealed that the content of total carbohydrate, total soluble protein and total lipids were significantly increased, whereas total alkaloids and phenolics were significantly decreased. Mixing Nostoc with Cu increased the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids when compared with control and Cu singly. Scanning SDS-PAGE gel indicated de novo synthesis of two polypeptides with molecular weight of 44 and 67 KDa. Isozyme profile of POD and α and β-esterase of yielded seeds showed 3 isoforms of POD and α esterase and two isoforms of β-esterase varied in their intensity and thickening in response to different treatments.