Study of physiological and biochemical parameters of some soybean (Glycine max) varieties (Telar, DPX, Caspian) under cadmium stress

In the current study, the effect of different concentrations of cadmium (0, 200, 400μM) on  root and shoot growth, malondialdehyde (MDA), total phenol, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), chlorophyll  and anthocyanin contents, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity were investigated in three varieties of soybean plant (Telar, DPX, Caspian). The results showed that Cd treatment caused reduction of root and shoot biomass, chlorophyll a content in all three cultivars with the highest reduction in Telar. Significant increase in total phenolics and anthocyanin contents and PAL activity was observed in all the three soybean cultivars with the Cd treatment. The content of MDA in all three cultivars was significantly increased in 400µM concentration of Cd treatment as compared to control. The results of this study indicated that Telar cultivar was the most sensitive cultivare to cadmium stress compared with Caspian and DPX cultivars.