University of Isfahan Journal of Plant Biological Sciences 3041-9603 5 16 2013 08 23 Investigation of interaction between zinc and organic acid (malic acid, citric acid) on antioxidant responses in Zea mays L. Investigation of interaction between zinc and organic acid (malic acid, citric acid) on antioxidant responses in Zea mays L. 1 12 18883 FA Zahra Hosseini Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran Latifeh Pourakbar Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran Journal Article 2016 06 14 Soil pollution by toxic metals is a serious problem for the environment and is also one of the environmental stresses for higher plants. Zinc as a heavy metal plays an important role in many biochemical functions of plants. However, excess amount of zinc is one of the most important growth limiting factors in acid soils. In this investigation five day seedlings of Zea mays L. for 12 days, under hydroponic conditions were treated with concentrations of 0, 400 and 600 of zinc sulfate also malic acid and citric acid 0.32 mM together with zinc concentrations. Then, plants were harvested and dry weight, root and shoot length, Malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2 content and antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, APX, GR and GPX) was measured. The results showed that by increasing Zn concentration from 400 to 600 µM, root and shoot dry weight and length were decreased, while MDA, H2O2 content, antioxidant enzyme activity were increased. Also, the present of citric and malic acids decreased toxicity effects. Generally, it was concluded that zinc at high concentration induced toxicity effects in Zea mays L. but presece of malic and citric acid decreased toxicity effects in this plant. Soil pollution by toxic metals is a serious problem for the environment and is also one of the environmental stresses for higher plants. Zinc as a heavy metal plays an important role in many biochemical functions of plants. However, excess amount of zinc is one of the most important growth limiting factors in acid soils. In this investigation five day seedlings of Zea mays L. for 12 days, under hydroponic conditions were treated with concentrations of 0, 400 and 600 of zinc sulfate also malic acid and citric acid 0.32 mM together with zinc concentrations. Then, plants were harvested and dry weight, root and shoot length, Malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2 content and antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, APX, GR and GPX) was measured. The results showed that by increasing Zn concentration from 400 to 600 µM, root and shoot dry weight and length were decreased, while MDA, H2O2 content, antioxidant enzyme activity were increased. Also, the present of citric and malic acids decreased toxicity effects. Generally, it was concluded that zinc at high concentration induced toxicity effects in Zea mays L. but presece of malic and citric acid decreased toxicity effects in this plant. https://ijpb.ui.ac.ir/article_18883_349d1fb3e5897868a24236ec9c3dad89.pdf