Study type: Medical/biological study (experimental study)

Effects of EMFs on Some Biological Parameters in Coffee Plants (Coffea arabica L.) Obtained by in vitro Propagation med./bio.

Published in: Pol J Environ Stud 2014; 23 (1): 95-101

Aim of study (acc. to author)

To investigate the possible effect of exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields on growth and antioxidative enzymes in in vitro (micropropagation) coffee seedlings and subsequent development of these seedlings.

Background/further details

Coffee is an important commercial product. Micrpropagation presents an in vitro culture system to generate high quality coffee seedlings. After a six weeks establishment phase in a culture medium, the plants reach a multiplication phase usually having three pairs of leaves and a primary root at the end. Afterwards, in the acclimatization phase, plants are transferred to a pot with soil.
Seedlings were exposed or sham exposed either during establishment, multiplication, or acclimatization for 3 minutes. For each experimental group (exposure and sham exposure, respectively), 50 samples were used per replicate and 3 replicates for all phases. Seedlings were examined at the end of the each phase or 4 month after the acclimatization phase,

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 60 Hz
Exposure duration: 3 minutes

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 60 Hz
Type
Exposure duration 3 minutes
Exposure setup
Exposure source
Setup samples were placed in a dielectric container and placed in the homogeneous magnetic field at the end and center of the solenoid; a 40 cm long magnetizer solenoid was used, consisting of a 16-gauge copper wire (1.1 mm) with a total of 363 turns
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
magnetic flux density 2 mT - - - -

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

In exposed seedlings, the shoot and root lengths as well as leaf pair numbers were significantly increased during establishment, multiplication, or acclimatization phase and 4 month after acclimatization in comparison to seedlings from the control group. Magnetic field treatment resulted in a significant decrease of the enzyme activity of the catalase during establishment, multiplication and acclimatization, of the superoxide dismutase during acclimatization and of the ascorbate peroxidase during multiplication, acclimatization and in the 4 month old seedling compared to the corresponding control group. However, the enzyme activity of the catalase was significantly increased in the exposed 4 month old seedlings compared to the 4 month old control seedlings.
The authors conclude that exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields could influence antioxidative enzymes in in vitro (micropropagation) coffee seedlings and could have a promoting effect on growth and development.

Study character:

Study funded by

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