The effects ofCadmium nanoparticles on the growth and antioxidant enzymes activityofWheatSeedlings under drought stress condition

One of the most harmful environmental factors on plants is the development of oxidative stress in cells.This research studied the effect of cadmium on the wheat (TriticumaestivumL.) growth, and the antioxidant enzymes activity in leaves of seedlings under optimal condition and polyethelen glycol (PEG) treatment. Exposure to cadmium at optimal the plants growth were normal and the rate of the oxidative processes in the cells remained at the control level. This was achieved by a corresponding increase of the antioxidant enzymes activity in leaves. In contrast, exposure to cadmium withPEG inhibited the seedlings growth despite of the lower metal content in plants. Moreover the rate of peroxidation in the leaves increased significantly. It is assumed that this effect was connected with the accumulation of excess amounts of hydrogen peroxide due to a misbalance between its generation and negation. This assumption is confirmed by the obtained data, according to which the the total activity of superoxide desmutase increased significantly under exposure to cadmium withPEG, although catalase and peroxidase activity did notrise.