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Protective role of selenium against chromium stress involving metabolites and essential elements in Brassica juncea L. seedlings

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Abstract

The present study aimed at the potential role of selenium in providing protection to plants subjected to chromium toxicity. The study was carried out on 15-day-old seedlings of Brassica juncea raised in the solutions of Cr (300 µM) and Se (2, 4 and 6 µM), both alone and in combinations under controlled laboratory environment. The effects were studied on growth, plant metabolites (involved in osmotic homeostasis and stress protection), and essential elements. The results showed that the exposure of B. juncea seedlings to 300 µM Cr led to an increase in the contents of total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, total phenols and flavonoids. However, a significant decline in growth characteristics, the contents of proteins and free amino acids was observed. The essential elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, C, H, N) also decreased in response to Cr. Se application in binary combinations, on the other hand, aided in improving seed germination (19%), root (88.3%) and shoot (18.2%) lengths. It also helped to increase the contents of sugars [total (16.3%), reducing (21.6%) and non-reducing (15.2%)], phenols (36.7%) and flavonoids (27.4%), thereby aiding in alleviating the phytotoxicity of Cr. The profiling of polyphenols and amino acids, and histological study of phenols supported the above results. The contents of essential elements also showed a significant increase, while Cr uptake was observed to decline by Se supplementation. The observations from the present study indicate that Se has the ability to influence primary and secondary metabolism, improve mineral nutrition and reduce Cr uptake in B. juncea seedlings to combat the Cr phytotoxicity and enhance the tolerance against stress.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for funding this research group no (RG-1438-039). The authors also acknowledge UGC-UPE and DRS-SAP (II) program of University Grants Commission, India.

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  1. Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, 143005, India

    Neha Handa, Sukhmeen Kaur Kohli, Ashwani Kumar Thukral & Renu Bhardwaj

  2. Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Mohammed N. Alyemeni, Leonard Wijaya & Parvaiz Ahmad

  3. Department of Botany, S.P. College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190001, India

    Parvaiz Ahmad

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  1. Neha Handa
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Correspondence to Renu Bhardwaj or Parvaiz Ahmad.

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Handa, N., Kohli, S.K., Thukral, A.K. et al. Protective role of selenium against chromium stress involving metabolites and essential elements in Brassica juncea L. seedlings. 3 Biotech 8, 66 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-018-1087-4

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