Abstract:
The contamination of agro-ecosystem with heavy metals and pesticides has trained plants to adapt to the limiting conditions. The study focuses on the determination of-in particular- the biochemical response of young tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and plants in general, after a double stress, specifically the application of cadmium (Cd) as a heavy metal and the use of abamectin as a pesticide. Since we were unable to complete our laboratory experiment because of COVID-19pandemic, a bibliographic review was carried out based on recent data on the subject. This analysis showed an increase in reactive species of oxygen (ROS), of sulphur (RSS) and of nitrogen (RNS), accompanied by the formation of lipid-derived radicals, due to the induction of a state of oxidative stress. Thus, prompting the terrestrial plants to develop defence and tolerance strategies which can be summarized as activation of the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant system, and synthesis of chaperones.
