Exogenous Silicon Attenuates Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Stress in Brassica napus L. by Modulating AsA-GSH Pathway and Glyoxalase System

Cadmium (Cd) brings a devastating health hazard to human being as a serious consequence of agricultural and environmental contamination. We demonstrated the protective effect of silicon (Si) on cadmium (Cd)-stressed rapeseed (Brassica napus L. cv. BINA Sharisha 3) plants through regulation of antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems. Twelve-d-old seedlings were exposed to Cd stress (0.5 and 1.0 mM CdCl2) separately and in combination with Si (SiO2, 1.0 mM) for two days. Cadmium toxicity was evident by an obvious oxidative stress through sharp increases in H2O2 content and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA content), and visible sign of superoxide and H2O2. Cadmium stress also decreased the content of ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) as well as their redox pool. The activities of…