Potencial remediador do extrato das folhas de Eugenia punicifolia (Kunth) DC. (Myrtaceae) sobre o desenvolvimento de plântulas de Lactuca sativa L. expostas ao sulfato de níquel

Abstract

The inadequate and long-term use of phosphate fertilizers, the disposal of industrial waste and electronic waste, as well as mining practices, are anthropogenic activities that result in the contamination of agricultural soils by toxic metals in many parts of the world. One of the primary responses of plants to exposure to high levels of toxic metals is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This overproduction of ROS in plants leads to oxidative stress and consequently cell damage. As an alternative to reverse this problem, recent studies have used plant extracts as a source of biomolecules with toxic metal chelating and antioxidant potential. Therefore, the present study investigated the effectiveness of Eugenia punicifolia (Kunth) DC leaf extract. as a potential remedy or protector for the development of Lacutca sativa L. seedlings exposed to nickel sulfate. The study was carried out in a completely randomized design (DIC), with tests in quadruplicates. The treatments consisted of isolated concentrations of the ethanolic extract of Eugenia punicifolia (EEEP) and nickel sulfate (NiSO4), of the combined concentrations (EEEP x NiSO4) and a control with distilled water only. Physical-chemical parameters of the solutions applied in the remediation test were analyzed, as well as the morphological and biochemical parameters of the cultivated seedlings. In the combined treatments (EEEP x NiSO4), the seedlings showed improvement in their morphology and in the content of photosynthetic pigments. Thus, the study showed results that demonstrate the protective role of EEEP over nickel-induced phytotoxicity in Lactuca sativa L. seedlings. However, further studies on the molecular mechanisms related to EEEP remedial activity on Lactuca sativa L seedlings are needed. exposed to nickel.