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Zinc alleviates mercury-induced oxidative stress in Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen

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Abstract

The possible role of zinc (Zn) to reverse the oxidative stress caused by mercury (Hg) was investigated in Pfaffia glomerata plantlets. Thirty-day-old acclimatized plantlets of P. glomerata were exposed to four treatments: control, 50 μM Zn, 50 μM Hg and 50 μM Zn + 50 μM Hg for 9 days. In Zn + Hg treatment, shoot and root Hg concentrations were 59 and 24% smaller than that plants exposed to 50 μM Hg added alone. An increase in the Zn concentration in the shoot of plants exposed to Zn + Hg occurred, although in the roots Zn concentration was not altered, when compared to the control. Fresh and dry weights, as well as the activity of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) in Hg-treated plants were significantly reduced. Percentage survival, fresh and dry weights and δ-ALA-D activity of plants treated by 50 μM Zn + 50 μM Hg were greater than of that treated by Hg alone. Moreover, Zn treatment reduced the lipid peroxidation caused by Hg, being this effect related to increased root superoxide dismutase activity, and shoot catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities. In conclusion, the presence of Zn in the substrate caused a significant reduction in the oxidative stress induced by Hg.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação e Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS) for the research fellowships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Nicéia Spanholi Calgaroto, Júlia Gomes Farias, Sibila Trojahn Nunes & Fernando Teixeira Nicoloso

  2. Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil

    Denise Cargnelutti, Liana Veronica Rossato, Luciane Almeri Tabaldi, Fabiane Goldschmidt Antes, Erico Marlon Moraes Flores & Maria Rosa Chitolina Schetinger

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  1. Nicéia Spanholi Calgaroto
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  2. Denise Cargnelutti
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  3. Liana Veronica Rossato
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  4. Júlia Gomes Farias
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  5. Sibila Trojahn Nunes
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  6. Luciane Almeri Tabaldi
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  7. Fabiane Goldschmidt Antes
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  8. Erico Marlon Moraes Flores
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  9. Maria Rosa Chitolina Schetinger
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  10. Fernando Teixeira Nicoloso
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Maria Rosa Chitolina Schetinger or Fernando Teixeira Nicoloso.

Additional information

N.S. Calgaroto and D. Cargnelutti contributed equally to this work.

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Calgaroto, N.S., Cargnelutti, D., Rossato, L.V. et al. Zinc alleviates mercury-induced oxidative stress in Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen. Biometals 24, 959–971 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-011-9457-y

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