Abstract
The present study aims at the amelioration of chromium Cr(VI) toxicity using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and to understand the interactive effects of Cr(VI) and EDTA with respect to seedling growth, lipid peroxidation as assessed from malondialdehyde, pigments and antioxidative enzymes in Hordeum vulgare L. Following multivariate statistical techniques were used to study binary interactions between Cr(VI) and EDTA: 2-way ANOVA, Tukey's multiple comparison test, multiple regression with interaction between Cr an EDTA, beta coefficients, path analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). The present study revealed that the EDTA decreases lipid peroxidation induced by Cr(VI) and ameliorates the antioxidative defence system and pigment constitution of seedlings grown in Cr(VI) containing media. EDTA-Cr(VI) interaction decreased the Cr content in the seedlings which may be attributed to the chelating effect of EDTA. The root and shoot bioconcentration factors, the ratio of Cr content in the plant to that in the medium, were decreased by addition of EDTA to Cr(VI), indicating a decrease in the uptake of Cr by the seedlings from the medium. NMDS revealed that the ranking of the studied parameters is maintained by ordination on two axes. The study established that EDTA is antagonistic to Cr(VI) induced biochemical toxicity, and improves the antioxidative defence system, increases the chlorophyll content, and decreases Cr uptake in barley seedlings.