A master’s thesis in the Department of Life Sciences at the College of Education / Qurna at the University of Basra discussed (the effect of foliar spraying with melatonin and glutathione in reducing oxidative stress resulting from oil pollution of the fenugreek plant Trigonella foenum-graecum and the content of its seeds of active compounds) by researcher Khitam Ali Hussein. 

The study aims to evaluate the efficiency of melatonin and glutathione in enhancing the fenugreek plant’s tolerance to oxidative stress conditions resulting from soil contamination with crude oil, and the extent to which these compounds affect growth indicators, yield, and physiological characteristics of the plant, as well as the seed’s content of active compounds.

The results showed that oil pollution led to a significant decrease in growth, production and physiological characteristics, and the severity of the effect increased at the highest concentration (6 g/kg soil). On the other hand, spraying with melatonin and glutathione contributed to improving these indicators, and the interaction between the factors had a clear significant effect.

The study recommended the possibility of using the fenugreek plant in the phytoremediation of soils contaminated with crude oil due to its high tolerance and efficiency in absorbing and breaking down hydrocarbon pollutants. It also called for further studies to be conducted using other leguminous plants and various environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, in addition to testing the effect of melatonin and glutathione on other plant species.