Physiological and biochemical markers of gamma irradiated white radish (Raphanus sativus)

Abstract

Purpose

A field experiment was performed to investigate the impact of low-dose gamma rays on growth parameters and bioactive compounds of white radish.

Materials and methods

White radish seeds were irradiated by gamma rays dose levels (10, 20, 40 and 80 Gy) beside control. Physiological and biochemical markers were done to follow the effect of gamma rays on white radish.

Results

The results revealed that gamma rays increased growth parameters with increasing irradiation to a dose of 40 Gy. The maximum increments were found at 14.64 (cm), 48.30 (cm), 20.84 (cm) and 5.51 (cm) for leaves number, leaves length, roots length and roots diameter, respectively, with a dose of 40 Gy. By increasing the irradiation dose to 80 Gy, the results showed reduction in all parameters studied. Ascorbic acid gave the maximum increase with the dose of 40 Gy, while phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase showed the highest increase with the dose 80 of Gy in radish leaves. Similar trend was observed for the radish roots. Furthermore, the protein and isoenzyme profiles of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase changed and induced alteration by different irradiation dose levels.

Conclusion

Gamma rays can be a useful tool for increasing the growth and biochemical content of white radish plants and perhaps other food crops.

Keywords:

• White radish
• gamma irradiation
• biochemical markers

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to express their gratitude to the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority as well as October University for Modern Science and Art (MSA), Faculty of Biotechnology, for helping and supporting to conduct the recent investigation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Amina Aly

Amina Aly, PhD, is a Professor of Biochemistry at the Natural Products Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo-Egypt. Her research is the application of irradiation in agriculture fields and detecting the change obtained by different methods such as physiological biochemical and molecular analysis.

Noha Eliwa

Noha Eliwa, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the Natural Products Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.

Ahmed Taha

Ahmed Taha, BSc, is a Faculty of Biotechnology, October University for Modern Science and Arts (MSA), Giza-Egypt.

Zeyad Borik

Zeyad Borik graduated from October University For Modern Arts and Sciences, where he received his bachelor of sciences in Biotechnology. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in Biochemistry. Cairo university, Egypt. He is interested in food crop development, genetic enhancement of crops, and sustainable development of food industries.