The effects of heavy metal stress in wheat plant on certain phenolic compounds

Abstract

Plants are exposed to stress conditions depending on the lack of adaptation when unfavourable conditions occur in their environment. One of these stress conditions is heavy metal pollution. Defence systems are activated in order to protect cells under stress conditions and keep the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under control and to eliminate ROS. Phenolic compounds are effective compounds for eliminating and neutralizing free radicals. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of the short-term application (1 and 5 days) of arsenic, cadmium and lead (15μM, 30μM and 60μM mixtures) to a wheat species that was registered by Trakya Agricultural Research Institute in 2014 on phenolic contents.

Material and Method: In the phenolic content analyses performed on wheat stems, the analyses were conducted using the Agilent 1260 Infinity Liquid Chromatography (LC), Agilent 6460 Triple Quadrupole MS/MS System (Jet Stream Electrospray ion source). The results obtained were checked qualitatively, and then the quantitative analysis results were calculated by adding the results to the calibration graphs in Mass Hunter QQQ Quantitative Analysis programme, based on the areas of the peaks.

Findings and Discussion: The amounts of many compounds that exhibit phenolic features in wheat plant in plants treated with the mixture doses of 15μM, 30μM and 60 μM resulted in an increase and decrease when compared to the control group. It was determined that the phenolic compounds investigated were affected by short-term heavy metal stress in the wheat plant and significant changes occurred in their amounts.