Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
VIl. International Agricultural, Biological & Life Science Conference, İstanbul, Türkiye, 8 - 10 Eylül 2025, ss.457, (Özet Bildiri)
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), which is used as a nutritional source in many countries of the world, is an annual herbaceous plant species with high food value. Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that is toxic and an environmental pollutant and can pass through agricultural soils for various reasons and contaminate the food chain. Phycocyanin, which can be extracted in high amounts from the Arthrospira platensis species, is a blue accessory protein pigment. It has gained importance in recent years due to its effective applications in the industry, pharmaceutical, and food sectors. Therefore, it is a natural alternative that competes with artificial food dyes. In this study, leaf segments were taken from 10-day-old wheat seedlings, and these segments were incubated under 5 µM cadmium stress for 2 days. Then the effects of stressed segments on physiological and pigment levels were examined, and the potential protective role of phycocyanin-rich (35%) Arthrospira platensis solutions at concentrations of 0.01 g/L and 0.1 g/L against these effects was investigated. While Cd stress caused a significant decrease in fresh weight, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and anthocyanin contents, solutions provided improvement in these parameters especially at 0.1 g/L concentration. While carotene level did not change at 0.01 g/L solution concentration, it was more effective at 0.1 g/L concentration. Cd stress increases the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase and peroxidase by triggering the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Application of phycocyanin-rich solutions reduced this stress and suppressed the enzymatic defense system. The results showed that phycocyanin alleviates the effects of Cdinduced oxidative stress and may support the plant defense system. For these reasons, it is assumed that phycocyanin can be used as a supporting agent for biochemical defense systems against cadmium stress in the future.