PRIMING WITH MORINGA (MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM.) LEAF EXTRACT BOOSTS THE GROWTH AND PHYSIO-BIOCHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES OF LEAD-STRESSED FENUGREEK (TRIGONELLA FOENUM-GRAECUM L.) SEEDLINGS.

Lead (Pb) is a potentially toxic environmental concern, affecting all forms of life on the planet. However, moringaleaf extract (MLE) attained enormous attention owing to its high phytohormones, antioxidants and essential nutrient contents. To evaluate the potential of MLE in alleviating the phytotoxicity of Pb on fenugreek seedlings, a pot experimentwas conducted at the laboratory of Biological Sciences Department, Jeddah University. The uptake of Pb by fenugreek seedlings negatively affected growth rate, chlorophyll content, soluble sugars, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, availability of the macronutrients (N, P, Ca, K), as well as K/Na ratio. Contrastingly, H₂O₂, MDA, soluble proteins and Mg content were increased. Seed priming in the aqueous MLE significantly ameliorated the ionic and osmotic deteriorations resulting fromPb uptake by fenugreek seedlings. MLE potentially retrieved seedling growth, balanced carbon and nitrogen metabolism, decreased the ROS-induced oxidative damage, in addition to sustaining ionic and osmotic homeostasis in Pb-stressed fenugreek seedlings. To sum up, the present study proved MLE as a potent eco-friendly approach to counteract Pb-phytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]