Allelochemicals enhance the severe effects of water stress in seedlings of Phaseolus mungo
Abstract
The study was conducted to find the changes in physiological responses of water stressed Phaseolus mungo seedlings to leachate of aromatic plant, Mentha piperata L. The water stress was imposed by withholding the water for 6 d. Water stress significantly decreased the relative water content, pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and caroteniods) and protein contents of P. mungo. This decrease was more drastic when the seedlings were subjected to combined stresses of allelochemicals and water. Activities of various antioxidants were influenced variously in different treatments. Lipid peroxidation and malondialdehyde content increased under water stress and with higher concentration of leachate. When the seedlings were subjected to combined stresses, lipid peroxidation and malondialdehyde contents increased further. Thus the antioxidant activity of seedlings failed to scavenge excess of reactive oxygen species and resulted in inhibited seedling growth.
Keywords
Allelopathic stress, antioxidant activity, lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde, Mentha piperita, Phaseolus mungo, reactive oxygen species, relative water content, water stress
