EFFECT OF CYTODEF ON OXIDATIVE STATUS IN WHEAT SEEDLINGS AFFECTED BY HEAVY METALS
The effect of sublethal (1 mM) and suboptimal (10 µM) concentrations of heavy metals (HM) and Cytodef (a cytokinin-like plant growth regulator) has been studied on the formation of superoxide anion radical (О<sub>2</sub>·ˉ), the intensity of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and catalase activity in young leaves of winter wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L. cv. Mironovskaya 808) seedlings. Some heavy metals, especially Ni and Cu, induced the enhanced indexes of oxidative stress intensity. In most experiments, toxicity increased with the enhancement of HM concentration. Seed treatment with the growth regulator Cytodef influenced differently the degree of oxidative damage: in the case of Ni<sup>2+</sup> и Cu<sup>2+</sup>, it increased the formation of (О<sub>2</sub>·ˉ), LPO intensity and catalase activity, whereas in the case of Zn<sup>2+</sup> and Pb<sup>2+</sup>,<sup> </sup>it reduced all these parameters.