Biological responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum) plants to the herbicide simetryne in soils

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2016-05, Vol.127, p.87-94
• Main Authors: Jiang, Lei, Yang, Yi, Jia, Lin Xian, Lin, Jing Ling, Liu, Ying, Pan, Bo, Lin, Yong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accumulation; Antioxidant enzymes; Antioxidants - metabolism; Catalase - metabolism; Chlorophyll - metabolism; Gene expression; Glutathione Reductase - metabolism; Herbicides - metabolism; Herbicides - toxicity; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Seedlings - drug effects; Simetryne; Soil - chemistry; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Triazines - metabolism; Triazines - toxicity; Triticum - drug effects; Triticum - enzymology; Triticum - growth & development; Triticum aestivum; Wheat
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2016.01.012

The rotation of rice and wheat is widely used and highly endorsed, and simetryne (s-triazine herbicide) is one of the principal herbicides widely used in this rotation for weed and grass control. However, little is known regarding the mechanism of the ecological and physiological effects of simetryne on wheat crops. In this study, we performed a comprehensive investigation of crop response to simetryne to elucidate the accumulation and phytotoxicity of the herbicide in wheat crops. Wheat plants exposed to 0.8 to 8.0mgkg−1 simetryne for 7 d exhibited suppressed growth and decreased chlorophyll content. With simetryne concentration in the soil varied from 0.8mgkg−1 to 8.0mgkg−1, simetryne was progressively accumulated by the wheat plants. The accumulation of simetryne in the wheat plants not only induced the over production of ROS and injured the membrane lipids but also stimulated the production of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). A test of enzymatic activity and gene expression illustrated that the wheat plants were wise enough to motivate the antioxidant enzymes through both molecular and physiological mechanisms to alleviate the simetryne-induced stress. This study offers an illuminating insight into the effective adaptive response of the wheat plants to the simetryne stress. •Simetryne is one of the principal herbicides used in rice–wheat rotation.•Wheat plants exposed to simetryne stress exhibited suppressed growth.•Simetryne was progressively accumulated by the wheat plants.•Simetryne treatment induced oxidative stress in wheat seedlings.•Antioxidant enzyme response to simetryne stress was studied.