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Changes of growth, photosynthesis and alteration of leaf antioxidative defence system of tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] seedlings under aluminum stress

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Abstract

Tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] is an aluminum (Al) hyperaccumulator plant and is commercially important due to its high content of antioxidants. Although Al induced growth is well-known for the plants growing in acid soil, yet the cause underlying the stimulatory effect of Al has not been fully understood. To investigate the possible role of Al in growth induction, we studied morphological, physiological as well as biochemical changes of tea plant under different Al concentrations (0–4,000 μM). In hydroponics, Al (15 μM), enhanced shoot and root growth, but at higher concentrations, it caused oxidative damage which culminated in a cascade of biochemical changes, Al content increased concurrently with the maturity of the leaf as well as stem tissues than their younger counterparts. Hematoxylin staining indicated that Al accumulation started after 6 h of exposure in the tips of young roots and accumulation was dose dependent. The physiological parameters such as pigments, photosynthetic rate, transpiration and stomatal conductance were declined due to Al toxicity. Alteration in activated oxygen metabolism was also evidenced by increasing lipid peroxidation, membrane injury, evolution of superoxide anions and accumulation of H2O2. Contents of phenols initially exhibited an acceleration which gradually plummeted at higher levels whereas total sugar and starch contents decimated beyond 15 μM of Al concentration. Activities of antioxidant defense enzymes were increased with the elevated concentration of Al. Expression of citrate synthase gene was up-regulated in the mature leaves, young as well as old roots simultaneously with increased concentration of Al in those parts; indicating the formation of Al-citrate complex. These results cooperatively specified that Al concentration at lower level promoted growth but turned out to be a stressor at elevated stages indicating the sensitivity of the cultivar (T-78) to Al.

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Acknowledgment

The authors are thankful to late Dr. R S Saha, Scientist, Darjeeling Tea Research Centre, Tea Board, Darjeeling, West Bengal for providing the tea plantlets and Mr. Pratap Subba for his technical help. The financial assistance from Tea Board, Govt of India is also acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. Tapan Kumar Mondal

    Present address: National Research Center on DNA Fingerprinting, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa, New Delhi, 110012, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology Laboratory, Faculty of Horticulture, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar, 785165, West Bengal, India

    Mainaak Mukhopadyay, Pranay Bantawa, Akan Das & Tapan Kumar Mondal

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, North Bengal University, Darjeeling, 734013, West Bengal, India

    Bipasa Sarkar

  3. Tea Board of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India, 14, B. T. M. Sarani (Brabourne Road), Kolkata, 700 001, West Bengal, India

    Biswajit Bera

  4. Cytogenetics and Plant Biotechnology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal, India

    Mainaak Mukhopadyay & Parthadeb Ghosh

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  1. Mainaak Mukhopadyay
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Correspondence to Tapan Kumar Mondal.

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Mainaak Mukhopadyay and Pranay Bantawa contributed equally to this study.

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Mukhopadyay, M., Bantawa, P., Das, A. et al. Changes of growth, photosynthesis and alteration of leaf antioxidative defence system of tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] seedlings under aluminum stress. Biometals 25, 1141–1154 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-012-9576-0

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