Effect of chromium (VI) on growth and lipid components in developing seeds of Brassica juncea

The present investigaton was aimed at studying the effect of chromium (Cr) (vi) on plant growth and lipid profile in Brassica juncea (cv. RH-30). Brassica juncea plants when grown in sandy soil treated with different concentration of Cr (viz. 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 ppm), there was delayed germination and flowering of plants. At 7.5 and 10.0 ppm concentrations, plants could not survive and died within a week. With the increasing concentration of Cr from 0.5 -5.0 ppm, there was continuous inhibition in plant height (4.2-24.6%), number of siliqua /plant (23.7-54.9%), number of seeds /siliqua (1.0-10.9%), seed yield /plant (9.8-62.3%) except at 0.5 ppm. The lowest concentration (0.5ppm) of Cr was found to be stimulatory. Oil yield and lipid profile (non-polar, polar, phospholipid and glycolipid) was inhibited at higher concentration of Cr. During early stages of seed development (15 days after flowering, DAF) there was no erucic acid content in seeds. At all the stages of seed development, with the increasing concentration of Cr (vi) application, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid contents of lipid decreased, while, erucic content increased. Cr application caused the deterioration of oil quality i.e. increased in erucic acid contents with increasing concentration of Cr Application.