Luehea divaricata Martius et Zuccarini Is a Sensitive Species to Aluminum, Not Presenting Phytoremediation Potential

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of aluminum (Al) on physiological and biochemical parameters of Luehea divaricata seedlings grown in a hydroponic system under greenhouse conditions to verify the possible tolerance to Al or phytoremediation potential of this species. Seeds of Luehea divaricata were placed to germinate in commercial substrate and after 30 days the seedlings were transferred to a hydroponic system with a complete nutrient solution, pH at 4.5±0.1, with daily adjustment. After 20 days of acclimatization, homogenous plants were selected and transferred to a new nutrient solution (without phosphorus (P) and pH at 4.5±0.1) with different concentrations of Al- 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg L-1, each treatment being composed of 10 replicates of one plant each. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design. After seven days of exposure to the treatments, plants were collected for physiological and biochemical analyzes. Aluminum promoted a significant reduction in fresh and dry weight of roots, stems and leaves; in plant height; leaf number; leaf area; and pigment content. On the other hand, Al promoted an increase in lipid peroxidation and guaiacol peroxidase enzyme activity. Therefore, the presence of Al in the growth medium, for the studied conditions, altered significantly both physiological and biochemical parameters in Luehea divaricata seedlings, presenting a sensitive behavior to this element. Due to these characteristics, the studied species does not show phytoremediation potential.