Physiological response of Moringa oleifera exposed to bisphenol A

Abstract

The physiological and morphological effects of different concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) on Moringa oleifera seedlings were determined in this study. Significant chlorosis and abscission were observed in leaves exposed to 50 mg/L of BPA. Photosynthetic pigment levels were affected differently by varying doses of BPA. Although the total carbohydrate content of seedling parts was increased by BPA, protein content was lowered by it, except in the case of roots at 1.5 mg/L of BPA. However, it was determined that the content of nonprotein sulphhydryl groups of seedling parts did not change significantly. The total phenolic content of root tissues showed an insignificant change; however, it was found that phenolic content increased in the stems and leaves following application of BPA. The content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in seedling tissues increased with increasing concentrations of BPA. Statistical analysis indicated that H2O2 content was significantly correlated with malondialdehyde content. These results clearly show that the application of BPA causes oxidative stress in seedling tissues.