Botany Department, Shivaji University, Kolhapur-416 004, Maharashtra, India.
National Seminar of Plant Physiology ‘
We studied the influence of leaf leachates of Eucalyptus, Moringa and Parthenium on the activities of some key enzymes during early phases of seed germination of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. The activities of enzymes alpha-amylase, dehydrogenase, nitrate reductase, peroxidase, polyphenol-oxidase and catalase were reduced due to treatment with leachates of all plants species. Maximum reduction in the activities of alphaamylase reductase was due to treatment of Moringa leaf leachate. Parthenium leaf leachate was most effective in reducing the activities of dehydrogenase and peroxidase. The activity of free radical scavenging enzyme catalase was greatly reduced by the treatment of Eucalyptus leaf leachate. Contrary to above enzyme systems, the activity of enzyme ATPase was increased due to treatment with leaf leachate of all plant species. Maximum increase in the enzyme activity was noticed in parthenium leaf leachate. The inhibitory effects of various leaf leachates on Sorghum seed germination is mediated through such alterations in the enzyme activities.
