Plant Physiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500 007
1Plant Physiology Lab, Crop Science Division, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshangar, Hyderabad, 500 059
The study showed that at low Cd concentrations (10 μM and 50 μM) there was little change of reducing sugars whereas non-reducing sugar content increased in Stigeoclonium tenue Kutz. At higher concentrations of Cd (100 μM and 150 μM) all the fractions of carbohydrates i.e. reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and total sugars decreased considerably. At low Cd concentrations the level of DNA, RNA and total nucleic acids increased but decreased at high Cd concentrations. Total free amino acid levels on the contrary decreased at low Cd concentrations and increased at higher Cd levels. The total phenols in the algal mat as well as in the growth medium showed a general increase over control. At 150 μM Cd level there was a slight decrease in phenolic content over 10 μM CD level. The levels of carbohydrates, nucleic acids and phenolic acids decreased due to the toxic effect of the increasing concentrations of Cd, whereas the free amino acid level increased at high Cd concentrations.
Amino acid, cadmium, carbohydrate, phenols, nucleic acid, Stigeoclonium tenue
