title: Influences of calcium deficiency and cerium on growth of spinach plants.
abstract: The main aim of the study was to determine the role of cerium in the amelioration of calcium-deficiency effects in spinach plants. Spinach plants were cultivated in Hoagland's solution. They were subjected to calcium-deficiency and to cerium chloride administered in the calcium-present Hoagland's media and calcium-deficient Hoagland's media. Within 3 weeks, young leaves developed distinct calcium-deficient symptoms, and plant growth significantly inhibited to calcium deprivation as would be expected; cerium-treated groups grown in the same conditions did not develop calcium-deficient symptoms; fresh weight, dry weight and chlorophyll content of spinach plants were increased by 35.9, 45 and 64.05% compared to those of plants cultivated in calcium-deficient media. In addition, calcium deprivation in spinach plants caused the reduction of photosynthetic rate, oxygen evolution rate and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity. The reduction of activities of nitrate reductase, glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamate synthase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase was observed under calcium-deficient media. However, cerium treatment under calcium-deficient media could significantly improve photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism of spinach plants. This is viewed as evidence that cerium added to calcium-deficient media in the spinach plants could substitute for calcium and improve spinach growth.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Suzhou University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Pan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bofu
authors.forename: Cao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weiqian
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Huang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiaoqing
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fashui
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002563:Cerium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002734:Chlorophyll; D002563:Cerium; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase; D010100:Oxygen; D002118:Calcium