title: Growth promotion and a decrease of oxidative stress in maize seedlings by a combination of geomagnetic and weak electromagnetic fields.
abstract: In the present study, we hypothesized that an appropriate combination of a geomagnetic field (as a static field) and an alternative magnetic field may result in the promotion of maize seedling growth by an alleviation of an excess production of reactive oxygen species. First, we determined the applicable range of frequencies by theoretical calculations, and a combined magnetic field was designed. The seeds were germinated in the magnetic field for 4 days, and the seedlings were allowed to grow in a nutrient solution for another 4 days. The magnetic field-treated maize seeds produced seedlings with a faster growth rate than the control seeds. The activity of superoxide dismutase in the magnetic field-treated seedlings was lower, while the total antioxidant capacity of these seedlings was higher than that of the control group. The maintenance of membrane integrity and a decrease of iron content in the magnetic field-treated seedlings suggest that a combination of both static and alternative magnetic fields promotes the growth of the plants by lowering iron absorption, a reduction in the Fenton chemistry, and lowering the risk of oxidative burst.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, KNToosi University of Technology, POB 15418-49611, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abazar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hajnorouzi
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaezzadeh
authors.forename: Faezeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghanati
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jamnezhad
authors.forename: Bahareh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nahidian
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000502:physiology; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D003313:Zea mays / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D007501:Iron; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D002118:Calcium