Vol. 12, Special Issue 11 (2023)

Author(s):
Satish Kumar and Amarendra Narayan Misra

Abstract:
The impact of Lead (Pb) on the growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings and the potential mitigation of lead toxicity through nitric oxide (NO) were examined. Exposure to 500μM of lead led to decreases in germination percentage, fresh weight, dry weight, chlorophyll, and carotenoid content. Nitric oxide (NO) is a highly reactive molecule involved in various physiological and biochemical pathways, demonstrating its protective role against oxidative stress. Treatment with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) at 100 μM significantly alleviated lead-induced inhibition, resulting in increased shoot and root length, as well as higher chlorophyll and carotenoid levels compared to the control. However, higher concentrations of SNP (500 μM) displayed adverse effects, reducing photosynthetic pigment content in germinated seedlings. Application of 100 μM SNP in conjunction with 300 and 500 μM Pb effectively mitigated the toxic effects of lead on wheat seedlings. These findings underscore the protective function of SNP in counteracting in wheat seedlings, toxicity induced by lead.