Chromium toxicity in Moringa oleifera Lam.

Abstract

This study investigated the toxic effects of different Cr concentrations (Control, 5, 25 and 50 mg/L) on hydroponically cultivated M. oleifera seedlings. At the end of the application, certain biochemical variations and changes in Cr and nutrient content (K, Zn, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg and Mn) of the plant roots and shoots were determined. M. oleifera seedlings accumulated high Cr concentrations in roots and shoots. As a result, Cr led to nutrient deficiency by affecting the intake and transportation of the necessary macro and micro elements. Increase in phenolic compound content and non-protein SH groups may indicate that they played a role in Cr toxicity. Furthermore, the increases in H2O2 and MDA levels clearly demonstrated that Cr toxicity induced oxidative stress in M. oleifera cells.