Cite this article:
Xalxo and Keshavkant (2016). Simulated Acid Rain-Induced Oxidative Modifications in Medicinally Reputed Trigonella foenum-graecum Seedlings. Journal of Ravishankar University (Part-B: Science), 29(1), pp.135-136.
PP-B09
Simulated Acid
Rain-Induced Oxidative Modifications in Medicinally Reputed Trigonella
foenum-graecum Seedlings
Roseline Xalxo and S Keshavkant
School of Studies in
Biotechnology, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur 492 010, India
Corresponding author email:
skeshaykant@gmail.com
[Received
21 January 2016, accepted 29 January 2016]
Abstract: The
Trigonella foenum-graecum, family Fabaceae, is one of the oldest medicinal
plants with exceptional medicinal and nutritional properties. Additionally, it
may also serve as an important off-season fodder and animal food supplement. It
may grow well under variety of conditions including drought, salinity, etc.
Considering its adaptability towards a range of conditions, in this study,
responses of Trigonella foenum-graecum seedlings were evaluated towards acid
rain (AR). Acid Rain (AR) is described as one of the severe environmental
issues emerged due to air pollution coupled with industrialization and more
recently, climate change. It is caused primarily by dissolution of SO, NO, and
HCI. These emissions into the atmosphere are largely due to combustion of
flammable waste and fossil fuels within thermal power plants, smelters,
automobiles etc. These compounds later combine with ozone to form strong acids
like H,SO, and HNO, Rain water that contains a concentration of H jons greater
than 2.5 ueg" and pH lower than 5.6 is considered as AR. It ha been documented
that AR exerts deleterious impacts in plants that includes necrosis, thin
crown, premature abscission, dieback, foliar injury, etc. It was also revealed
to lead over accumulation of hyper active oxygen species which are prone to
attack over cellular macromolecules. Owing to the susceptibility of early
seedlings to abiotic stresses, 15 days old Trigonella foenum-graecum seedlings
were treated with simulated acid rain (SAR, developed by adjusting the pH of
the distilled water to pH 2.5 and 3.0, using 70:30 (v/v) H,SO, HNO,. following
standard protocol), in alternate days, and for a total of 30 days. Accumulated
data revealed adverse impacts of both the treatments on overall growth
responses (length of the root and shoot, number of leaves, leaf area, and biomass
of root, shoot and leaves) of Trigonella foenum-graecum. Moreover, hyper active
oxygen species promoted rise in both lipid peroxidation reaction and
electrolyte leakage, and remarkable fall in contents of both chlorophylls (a, b
and total) and soluble protein were also documented. Analysis of data approves
that both the treatments were significantly inhibitory to Trigonella
foenum-graecum but their impacts were pH dependent; pH 2.5 was more damaging
than the 3.0. As per our knowledge this is the first report concerning to SAR
and its deleterious impacts on any of the medicinally reputed plants. However,
whether SAR treatment induces any alteration in the medicinal properties of
Trigonella foenum-graecum has to be explored experimentally.
Keywords: Chlorophyll,
Growth traits, Lipid peroxidation, Protein, Simulated acid rain, Trigonella
foenum-graecum