The antioxidant defense system response was evaluated in two rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.), Fernandes (CNA-1158) and Maravilha (CNA-6843-1), treated with toxic levels of aluminum. After exposure to aluminum we determined plant growth, H2O2 and O2•- contents, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes activities and ascorbate and dehydroascorbate contents. Al predominantly accumulated in roots of both cultivars but it reduced root and shoot growth only in the Maravilha cultivar. Treatment with aluminum resulted in a reduction of 84 and 60% in the levels of H2O2 in the roots of the cultivars Maravilha and Fernandes, respectively, and of 26% in the levels of O2•- only in the roots of Fernandes cultivar. Increased lipid peroxidation was observed only in the roots of the Maravilha cultivar. In general, the antioxidant enzyme activities were higher in roots and increased in the presence of aluminum, especially in the Fernandes cultivar. The levels of ascorbate were higher in leaves and increased with aluminum treatment, while dehydroascorbate decreased in roots of both cultivars after aluminum treatment. However, the ascorbate/dehydroascorbate ratio increased in the roots of both cultivars after treatment with aluminum. Ascorbate, dehydroascorbate and ascorbate/dehydroascorbate levels found here point to an efficient regeneration of ascorbate, essential for the homeostasis of cellular metabolites involved in reactive oxygen species removal by rice plants treated with aluminum. Therefore, the higher tolerance of Fernandes to aluminum relative to Maravilha cultivar may be the result of better growth of the root system and shoots, higher antioxidant enzyme activities and a best use/regeneration of ascorbate.

O trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito do Al sobre a absorção, o acúmulo e o fracionamento do P em duas cultivares de sorgo. As plantas foram expostas a níveis tóxicos de Al durante dez dias e, então, colhidas e determinados o crescimento em tamanho e produção de massa seca, os teores de Al e de P total e as diversas formas de P nas duas partes das plantas. Avaliou-se, também, o efeito do Al sobre a absorção de P pelas raízes de plantas intactas. O Al reduziu o crescimento da raiz seminal e a produção de matéria seca de raízes e parte aérea nas duas cultivares, especialmente na sensível. Os teores de Al e de P total aumentaram nas raízes, mas não foram modificados na parte aérea nas duas cultivares. A absorção de P, entretanto, decresceu na presença de Al nas duas cultivares, principalmente na sensível. O Al, de modo geral, modificou as concentrações das várias formas de P solúvel (Pi e Porg) e insolúvel (P RNA e Presidual), exceto a da forma P LIP. Algumas dessas modificações parecem ser importantes e podem estar relacionadas com o mecanismo de tolerância ao Al em sorgo.

The objective of this work was to evaluate Al effect on uptake, accumulation and fractionation of P in two sorghum cultivars. Plants were treated with toxic levels of Al during ten days and then they were harvested and growth, dry matter yield, Al and total P contents and concentrations of the various P forms in the two parts of the plants were determined. Aluminum effect on P uptake was also evaluated in intact plants. Aluminum reduced the growth of the seminal root and dry matter yield in roots and tops of both cultivars, especially in the sensitive one. Aluminum and P contents increased in roots but did not change in the top of both cultivars. Phosphate uptake by roots, however, decreased in the presence of Al in both cultivars, especially in the sensitive one. Aluminum, in general, changed concentrations of all soluble (Pi e Porg) and insoluble P forms (P RNA e Presidual), except of the P LIP form. Some of these modifications seem to be important and may be related to Al tolerance mechanism in sorghum.