Abstract

The current study was undertaken to determine the effects of arsenic on Colocasia esculentum. Rhizomes were grown in pots containing 2.5 kg of garden soil with increasing concentration of arsenic. Arsenic accumulation was more in shoots compared to roots at higher concentrations. High arsenic concentration caused reduction in plant growth along with induction of few antioxidants. C. esculentum has a strong antioxidative and physiological defense mechanism. Under arsenic stress, an increase in catalase, peoxidase, few non-enzymatic antioxidants and an induction of few stress induced protein were observed, along with some anatomical changes in roots. The increase in antioxidant stress enzyme activities in response to arsenicexposure may be taken as evidence for an enhanced detoxification capacity of C. esculentum, a herbaceous monocot plant, towards reactive oxygen species (and derivatives) that might be generated in the stressed plants.

Key words: Arsenic, Colocasia esculentum, antioxidant, metal, root

Abbreviation

Abbreviations: ICP-AAS, Inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectroscopy; DTPA-TEA, diethyltriamine penta acetic acid - triethanol amine; PVP, poly vinyl pyrrolidone.