Biochemical Analysis of Hydroponically Grown Chickpea (Cicer Arietinum L.) With Different Levels of Zinc

Abstract

Zinc is an essential micronutrient absorbed from the soil solution by plant roots with the other micronutrients, and it is required for activity of approximately 300 of enzymes, covering all 6 enzyme classes. Zinc in plants can directly participate in catalysis of enzymes or for maintain protein structure and stability Soil with low Zn levels, affecting large areas of cultivated soil in India. Zinc deficiency in soil affects the levels of Zn in plants followed by humans who consumed them. In this present study the effects of zinc uptake on structure and activity of regulatory enzyme was checked at different concentrations of zinc and time intervals in hydroponically grown seedlings of chickpea. Zinc uptake was measured from treated and control seedlings and two enzymes Alcohol dehydrogenase and Carbonic anhydrase were isolated, protein and enzymatic activity were estimated. The treatment T1 [2μM Zn conc. + 12 Hrs] resulted in significantly higher crude enzyme content and enzyme activity in both ADH and CA as compared to all other treatment, an increase in protein and enzyme activity was observed at low zinc content. It was inferred that Zn concentration increased the crude enzyme content and enzyme activity increased up to a certain Zn concentration with time after which Zn start accumulating, which led to the formation of a bigger oligomer of enzymes and this oligomer formation causes the inactivation of enzyme. On basis of experimental findings, it is suggested that incorporating 2μM of Zn up to 12 hrs will probably results in higher protein content and higher enzyme activity.