Peroxide isozymes and Malondialdehyde content and ascorbate peroxidase activity in Berberis integerrima and Cercis siliquastrum under Cd-induced stress .

ROS detoxification is an essential process in protecting plant cells and their organelles, which is caused by ROS generated in stress condition. Peroxidase (POD) isozyme, Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity are the indicators of plants for measuring pollution effects. The purpose of the present study was to investigate Cd-induced stress on POD isozymes, MDA content, and APX activity in seedlings of Berberis integerrima and Cercis siliquastrum. 100 seedlings were treated with cadmium chloride separately at concentrations of 0, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000 mg/kg three times at intervals of 15 days. POD activity varied at different levels of Cd stress Cercis siliquastrum, while this was not the case with Berberis integerrima. MDA was slightly increased up to 6000 mg/kg from 5% to 27%, but a sharp increase (41%) was found at 6000 mg/kg compared with 4000 mg/kg Cd treatment in Cercis siliquastrum. The highest MDA content (10.5 µM/ g FW) was recorded at 6000 mg/kg trearment in Berberis integerrima, while the lowest value (2.3 µM/ g FW)was found in control Cercis siliquastrum plants. The maximum and minimum APX activity were found in the treatments of 6000 mg/kg (0.13 unit/mg protein) and control (0.02 unit/mg protein), respectively, for both Cercis siliquastrum and Berberis integerrima. In control Berberis integerrima, APX activity (0.02 unit/mg protein) was higher than that of Cercis siliquastrum (0.006 unit/mg protein) (p ˂ 0.05). Overall, the findings suggest that Berberis integerrima is less tolerant than Cercis siliquastrum under Cd-induced stress.