Seed is a developmental stage that
is highly protective against external stresses in the plant life cycle.
Present study was undertaken with the aim to elucidate the toxic effect
of Cu (II) ions on the antioxidant enzymes in chickpea cultivars during
seed development and growth. Seven-day-old seedlings were subjected to
different concentrations (0-100 ppm) of CuSO4*7H2O
for 2 days followed by analysis of effect on different antioxidant
enzymes. Our results indicated that with the increase in the Cu ion
concentration, the antioxidant activities of catalase, ascorbate
peroxidase and superoxide dismutase showed a differential behavioral
pattern. Besides the antioxidant activity, the toxic affect was also
observed in other physiological parameters viz. root/shoot length, RWC
and lipid peroxidation. This study indicates that the toxicity of Cu
stress is dependent on the physiological state of tissue surrounding
the embryo is in part responsible for determining the toxicity.
