Environ Exp Biol (2020) 18: 229–236

Effect of phenol on biochemical status of an aquatic fern Salvinia natans

Abstract

Phenols represent an organic group of toxic compounds, disposed of directly or indirectly into water bodies form agricultural and industrial sectors, causing critical impact on aquatic flora and fauna. Salvinia natans, an aquatic fern widely identified as a weed and known for its excellent ability to accumulate heavy metals and organic compounds, was selected for this study. In the present study, the ability of S. natans to withstand the toxic effects of phenol was assessed in terms of physiological and biochemical changes. Relative water content increased or remained stable up to 150 µM phenol even after 10 days. Accumulation of osmolytes like soluble sugars and proline increased with phenol toxicity, thereby suggesting a resistance mechanism. Increase of activity of antioxidative enzymes up to 100 µM phenol was also observed. Most importantly, there were no visible lesions indicating phenol toxicity on the plant tissues even after 10 days of treatment, which confirmed the phenol stress tolerance of this plant.