3.3. Cellular metabolites
Metabolic process in plants such as biosynthesis of carbohydrate,
proteins and secondary metabolites was found to be affected by Cd
treatment (Table 3). It was found that plants grown in vertisol produce
more sugar compare with those grown in alfisol. Among therice varieties chosen; MO 16 showed higher sugar content than MTU
7029. Plants grown in vertisol had more protein content too. It was
found that MO16 had produced more protein than MTU 7029 in vertisol
(Table 3). Cd treatment increased flavanol content. Flavanol
production was more in plants grown in vertisol. The difference in
flavanol content among rice varieties was prominent in vertisol
where MTU 7029 plants produced more flavanols than MO 16 plants
at 1.0 g CdCl2 per 4.0 Kg soil (Table 3). Cd treatment also increased
phenolics and the increase in phenolic content was more prominent
among plants grown in alfisol (Table 3). Thiol compounds also increased
with Cd treatments (Table 3). MTU 7029 grown in alfisol
produced more thiols at 1.0 g CdCl2 per 4.0 Kg treatment compare
with MO 16. Amount of malonyldialdehyde (MDA) was found to
more among plants grown in alfisol compare with vertisol (Table 3).
Difference between varieties found to be significant in both soil
types where MTU 7029 produced more MDA compare with MO16.
Screening of cellular metabolites through FTIR analysis showed
induction of functional groups such as alkanes, amines and anhydride
carboxylic acid derivatives in response to Cd accumulation
(supplementary data 2).