biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 53:105-111, 2009 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-009-0014-2

Physiological responses of Lupinus luteus to different copper concentrations

M. P. Mourato^1,*, L. L. Martins¹, M. P. Campos-Andrada²

¹ Departamento de Química Agrícola e Ambiental, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa, Portugal

² Departamento de Recursos Genéticos e Melhoramento, Estação Agronómica Nacional, Oeiras, Portugal

Yellow lupin (Lupinus luteus L.) plants were grown in hydroponic solution for 15 d under different copper concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 10, 25 and 50 µM). With increasing Cu concentration total biomass was not affected, leaf area slightly decreased, while chlorophyll content decreased considerably. Cu content increased significantly both in roots and in leaves, but the contents of other ions were only slightly affected at the highest Cu concentration (Mn content decreased both in roots and in leaves, P content decreased only in leaves and Zn content increased in roots). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased up to day 7 after copper application. Peroxidase (GPOD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities also increased, while catalase (CAT) activity remained constant.

Keywords: yellow lupin; oxidative stress; heavy metal toxicity

Subjects: catalase; chlorophyll a,b; copper; guaiacol peroxidase; lupin; Lupinus luteus; manganese; peroxidase; phosphorus; polyphenol oxidase; superoxide dismutase (SOD); zinc

Received: May 10, 2007; Accepted: November 17, 2007; Published: March 1, 2009  Show citation