Problems of Radiation Medicine and Radiobiology

The assessment of maize plants (Zea mays L.) adaptation to the cadmium
chloride influence using the radiocapacity factor

S. A. Pchelovska
Institute of Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Departmentof Biophysics and Radiobiology, Vasilkovska street 31/17, Kyiv, 03022, Ukraine

Objective. Show the possibility of method of the radiocapacity factor using for the study the phenomenon of adaptation of maize plants to the action of toxic factor – namely, introducing into the habitat of cadmium chloride solution. This method is proposed as convenient and adequate indicator of change of state of the objects under chemical stressor influence.
Materials and methods. Experiments were performed in the laboratory, the object of research were the processes of water culture of maize plants (Zea Mays L.) variety Prydnistrovska adapting to the toxic metal action. Cadmium chloride solution was entered to the culture medium of plants at concentrations, selected according to the standard adaptive scheme of the experiment. Under this scheme, adaptive concentration (1 μM/L and 2 μM/L of salt CdCl2) was entered first, and through certain time (Δt) – test concentration (25 μM/L of salt CdCl2). The assessment of maize plants adaptation was carried out by the changing of growth parameters and of radiocapacity factor. The radiocapacity factor defined as the ratio of current activity in water (medium) by the specifically inserted tracer – 137Cs to the initial.
Results and conclusions. The radiocapacity factor concentration dependence and dependencies under adaptive and stress influences to plants was obtained. The dependence of adaptation on the time interval between the test and adapting concentrations of cadmium chloride was revealed. And the effect of sensibilization on the growth and absorbing characteristics of plants of salt CdCl2 when the test concentration 25 μM/L entered at 4 hours after adaptive concentrations (1 μM/L and 25 μM/L) application was observed. It is shown that the radiocapacity factor is adequate, sensitive and efficient indicator manifesting the response of plants to stress influence in the conditions of adaptive schemes of influence using.

Key words: stress factors, adaptation, radiocapacity factor, cadmium chloride.

Problems of radiation medicine and radiobiology. 2014;19:431-440.