Keyster, MarshallCarelse, Mogamat Fahiem2018-03-062024-05-092020-04-302024-05-092017https://hdl.handle.net/10566/13417Magister Scientiae - MSc (Biotechnology)Lately, there has been serious contamination of soils and ground water caused by mineral mining and environmental pollution leading to heavy metal accumulation within soils and over time rendering the soil infertile. The contaminated soil affects crop; yield, germination percentage and leads to seed dormancy. Additionally, as plants are sessile organisms, exposure to environmental stress involves different defense cycles and signalling molecules. Oxidative stress, increases the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at greater rates than that of the metabolism. Moreover, oxidative damage leads to the loss in cellular function and eventually death. Nonetheless, plants have adapted ROS-scavenging systems driven by reduction-oxidation reactions as defense mechanisms. In this way, cellular homeostasis is an essential defending process and finding means to optimize these reactions would benefit in the development of plants. Hence, environmentally friendly solutions are being reported such as using glucosinolates, a secondary plant metabolite found in relatively high concentrations within crucifers such as Brassica napus L.enUniversity of the Western Cape