Phthalic Acid Induces Oxidative Stress and Alters the Activity of Some Antioxidant Enzymes in Roots of Malus prunifolia

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 488 - 494
• Main Authors: Bai, Ru, Ma, Fengwang, Liang, Dong, Zhao, Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York New York : Springer-Verlag 01.04.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Allelochemicals; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Autoecology; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Microscopy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; cell damage; chemical composition; Chemicals; dry matter accumulation; Ecology; Entomology; Enzymatic activity; enzyme activity; enzymes; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; growth inhibition; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogen Peroxide - metabolism; Hydroponics; Life Sciences; malondialdehyde; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Malus; Malus - enzymology; Malus - growth & development; Malus - metabolism; membrane damage; Oxidative Stress; Oxidoreductases - metabolism; phthalic acid; Phthalic Acids - pharmacology; plant damage; Plant diseases; Plant Roots - enzymology; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plant Shoots - enzymology; Plant Shoots - growth & development; Plant Shoots - metabolism; Plants and fungi; reactive oxygen species; Roots; seedling growth; superoxide anion; Superoxides - metabolism; Oxidative stress; Phthalic acid; Growth inhibition; Antioxidant enzymes; Membrane damage; Root; Growth; Rosaceae; Allelopathy; Broadleaved ornamental tree; Antioxidant; Allelochemicals; Phytotoxicity; Enzymatic activity; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plasma membrane; Interspecific competition; Spermatophyta; Damage; Malus prunifolia
• ISSN: 0098-0331; 1573-1561
• DOI: 10.1007/s10886-009-9615-7

Apple replant is a widespread agricultural problem documented in all of the major fruit-growing regions of the world. In order to better understand the phytotoxic mechanisms induced by allelochemicals involved with this problem, Malus prunifolia plants were grown hydroponically to the six-leaf-stage in the presence of phthalic acid (0 or 1 mM) for 5, 10, or 15 days. Apple plants were evaluated for: shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content, superoxide radical (O₂ ·⁻) generation rate, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Shoot and root lengths and fresh and dry weights of M. prunifolia decreased in plants exposed to phthalic acid. MDA and H₂O₂ content increased in phthalic acid-treated plants as did the generation rate of O₂ ·⁻ in M. prunifolia roots. The activities of superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1), peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7), catalase (EC 1.11.1.6), ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.11), glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2), dehydroascorbate reductase (EC 1.8.5.1), and monodehydroascorbate reductase (EC 1.6.5.4) increased in phthalic acid-stressed roots compared with control roots. These results suggest that activation of the antioxidant system by phthalic acid led to the formation of reactive oxygen species that resulted in cellular damage and the decrease of M. prunifolia growth.