Mammalian sex hormones stimulate antioxidant system and enhance growth of chickpea plants

Abstract

In the present study, it was aimed to investigate the influence of exogenous mammalian sex hormones (MSH) (progesterone, b-estradiol and androsterone) on the morphological (root and shoot growth) and biochemical parameters (protein and sugar content, antioxidant enzyme activities, and lipid peroxidation and H 2 O 2 levels) of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants growing under control conditions. The solutions of hormones prepared at different concentrations (10 -4 , 10 -6 , 10 -9 , 10 -12 and 10 -15 M) were sprayed once on the leaves of 7-day plants. The plants were harvested on 18 days after the hormone treatment. Although all of the hormones at the tested concentrations significantly increased plant growth, soluble protein and sugar contents, and antioxidant enzyme activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT)], they decreased H 2 O 2 content and lipid peroxidation level when compared with control plants. The activities of SOD, POX and CAT reached to the highest levels at 10 -6 M for progesterone, and 10 -9 M for b-estradiol and androsterone, which maximum growth, protein and sugar contents were determined. The same concentrations also resulted in the lowest levels for H 2 O 2 content and lipid peroxidation. It can be interpreted that the MSH improve plant growth and development by affecting some biochemical parameters including antioxidative system.

Effects of 17<i>β</i>-Estradiol on Growth, Primary Metabolism, Phenylpropanoid-Flavonoid Pathways and Pathogen Resistance in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>

“…The root growth results of this study are consistent with similar results obtained with chickpea seedlings in that exogenous application of 10 −4 -10 −12 M ES as a foliar spray resulted in enhanced root and shoot length growth [32]. Application of selected estrogens on Arabidopsis plants grown on artificial medium [15], winter wheat [33], sage (Salvia splendens) [34] and chicory (Cichorium intybus) [14] was found to stimulate flowering.…”

Exogenous steroid hormones stimulate full development of autonomous endosperm in Arabidopsis thaliana

“…Progesterone, estrone and androsterone induce in vitro flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana [25]. Exogenous application of MSHs activate the oxidative enzymes under non-stress conditions [26]. The latest results obtained in spring wheat after drought treatment [24] suggest that progesterone and its putative receptors contribute in processes regulating plant interactions with the environment.…”

Alleviative Role of Β-Estradiol Against 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Genotoxicity on Common Bean Genome

“…The same researches reported that MSH treatment significantly increased the Na content in chickpea seeds and barley leaves. Other researches shown that although MSH treatment increased the Na, K and Ca contents in chickpea seedlings, they decreased the Cl content (Afzal et al 2006;Erdal and Dumlupinar 2011b). Erdal (2012) reported that MSH application together with salt stress increased the dry weight, sugar, proline, protein, chlorophyll, glutathione (GSH) contents, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), nitrate reductase (NR) activities, and reduced the lipid peroxidation (MDA) level, superoxide (O2 − ) production and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content compared with salinity alone.…”

“…On the other hand, several studies have shown that exogenous mammalian sex hormones such as progesterone, β-estradiol and andosterone affect hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content and lipid peroxidation monodihydroascorbate (MDA) levels by stimulating the activity of antioxidant enzymes. So these hormones have positive effects on plant growth and development under stress (Dogra and Thukral 1996;Erdal and Dumlupinar 2011b). The obtained results were thought that the protective role of β-estradiol may be from the reduced ROS levels and the effect of ROS causing epigenetic changes.…”