Effect of extremely low frequency magnetic fields on the seedlings of wild plants growing in Central Yakutia

Abstract

It was shown that permanent (B = 50 μT, horizontal plane, direction to the north) and alternating magnetic fields (North–South direction) exerted influences on seed germination as well as on cytological and biochemical features of seedlings characteristic of investigated species (Lepidium apetalum, Artemisia vulgaris, A. jacutica, and A. dracunculus) of wild plants growing in Central Yakutia. Under the effect of permanent magnetic field (MF), germinating capacity of seeds decreased (except for A. vulgaris), whereas alternating MF of different frequencies improved their germinating capacity, except for L. apetalum and A. jacutica at frequencies of 200 and 300 Hz, respectively. Under permanent MF, the rate of lipid peroxidation in the tissues of the seedlings decreased, whereas the content of low molecular weight antioxidants rose; when the plants were exposed to an alternating magnetic field, the content of MDA and peroxidase activity increased, and the content of low molecular weight antioxidants followed an ambiguous pattern.