In: Phyton 55, Fasc. 2 (2015): S. 215-232 with 7 figures DOI: 10.12905/0380.phyton55(2)2015-0215

Response of Cicer arietinum to Allelopathic Effect of Portulaca oleracea Root Extract

Key words: Allelopathy, enzymes, lipid peroxidation, proline, PS II, Portulaca oleracea.

El-Shora H. M. & Abd El-Gawad A. M. 2015. Response of Cicer arietinum to allelopathic effect of Portulaca oleracea root extract. – Phyton (Horn, Austria) 55 (2): 215–232, with 7 figures.

Summary

Allelopathy has increasingly received attention by scientists and has played important role in plant biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. In the present study we investigated the allelopathic effect of aqueous extract of Portulaca olera­cea L. root on physiological indexes of Cicer arietinum L. plants. The results show that P. oleracea extract reduced Chl a, Chl b, total Chl, carotenoid contents and PSII photoreduction activity in Cicer leaves. On the other hand, P. oleracea extract en­hanced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which is indicated by increasing the production of superoxide radical (O2.-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Reduced glutathione (GSH), proline and ascorbate contents, electrolyte leakage (%), lipid peroxidation, cell death (%) and root oxidizability were also increased in Cicer plants treated with P. oleracea extract. In addition, the extract suppressed the ac­tivities of hexose phosphate isomerase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase but induced chlorophyllase activity in Cicer plants. The present results reveal that P. oleracea extract expressed phytotoxic ef­fect on the physiological parameters of Cicer plants.