scholarly journals Citric Acid Enhances Plant Growth, Photosynthesis, and Phytoextraction of Lead by Alleviating the Oxidative Stress in Castor Beans

Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Imran Mallhi ◽  
Muhammad Rizwan ◽  
Asim Mansha ◽  
Qasim Ali ◽  
Sadia Asim ◽  
...  

Lead (Pb) toxicity has a great impact in terms of toxicity towards living organisms as it severely affects crop growth, yield, and food security; thus, warranting appropriate measures for the remediation of Pb polluted soils. Phytoextraction of heavy metals (HMs) using tolerant plants along with organic chelators has gained global attention. Thus, this study examines the possible influence of citric acid (CA) on unveiling the potential phytoextraction of Pb by using castor beans. For this purpose, different levels of Pb (0, 300, 600 mg kg−1 of soil) and CA (0, 2.5, and 5 mM) were supplied alone and in all possible combinations. The results indicate that elevated levels of Pb (especially 600 mg kg−1 soil) induce oxidative stress, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malanodialdehyde (MDA) production in plants. The Pb stress reduces the photosynthetic traits (chlorophyll and gas exchange parameters) in the tissues of plants (leaves and roots), which ultimately lead to a reduction in growth as well as biomass. Enzyme activities such as guaiacol peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase are also linearly increased in a dose-dependent manner under Pb stress. The exogenous application of CA reduced the Pb toxicity in plants by improving photosynthesis and, ultimately, plant growth. The upsurge in antioxidants against oxidative stress shows the potential of CA-treated castor beans plants to counteract stress injuries by lowering H2O2 and MDA levels. From the results of this study, it can be concluded that CA treatments play a promising role in increasing the uptake of Pb and reducing its phytotoxicity. These outcomes recommend that CA application could be an effective approach for the phytoextraction of Pb from polluted soils by growing castor beans.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boda Ravi Kiran ◽  
M.N.V. Prasad

Abstract Lead (Pb) is a major inorganic pollutant with no biological significance and has been a global concern. Phytotoxicity of lead induces toxic effects by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), which inhibits most of the cellular processes in plants. Hydro-ponic experiments were performed with Ricinus communis to investigate the toxicity and antioxidant responses by exposing to different concentrations of lead (0, 200 and 400 µM) for 10 days. Pb stress caused a significant increase in electrolyte leakage, non-enzymatic antioxidants (phenols and flavonoids) and a decrease in the elemental profile of the plant. Histochemical visualization clearly indicates the significant increase of H2O2 production in dose-dependent manner under Pb stress. Likewise, an increase in catalase, guaiacol peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity was also evident. Ascorbate peroxidase and MDAR, on the other hand, responded biphasically to Pb treatments showing a decrease in concentration. The decline in redox ratio GSH/GSSG was imposed by the indirect oxidative stress of Pb. Hence these findings showed the ameliorative potential of R. communis to sustain Pb toxicity under oxidative stress.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ihsan Elahi Zaheer ◽  
Shafaqat Ali ◽  
Muhammad Hamzah Saleem ◽  
Muhammad Arslan Ashraf ◽  
Qurban Ali ◽  
...  

Contamination of soil and water with metals and metalloids is one of the most serious problems worldwide due to a lack of a healthy diet and food scarcity. Moreover, the cultivation of oilseed crops such as rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) with tannery wastewater could contain a large amount of toxic heavy metals [e.g., chromium (Cr)], which ultimately reduce its yield and directly influence oilseed quality. To overcome Cr toxicity in B. napus, a pot experiment was conducted to enhance plant growth and biomass by using newly introduced role of micronutrient-amino chelates [Zinc-lysine (Zn-lys)], which was irrigated with different levels [0% (control), 33%, 66%, and 100%] of tannery wastewater. According to the results of present findings, very high content of Cr in the wastewater directly affected plant growth and composition as well as gas exchange parameters, while boosting up the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induced oxidative damage in the roots and leaves of B. napus. However, activities of antioxidants initially increased (33% of wastewater), but further addition of tannery wastewater in the soil caused a decrease in antioxidant enzymes, which also manifested by Zn content, while the conscious addition of wastewater significantly increased Cr content in the roots and shoots of B. napus. To reduce Cr toxicity in B. napus plants, exogenous supplementation of Zn-lys (10 mg/L) plays an effective role in increasing morpho-physiological attributes of B. napus and also reduces the oxidative stress in the roots and leaves of the oilseed crop (B. napus). Enhancement in different growth attributes was directly linked with increased in antioxidative enzymes while decreased uptake and accumulation of Cr content in B. napus when cultivated in wastewater with the application of Zn-lys. Zn-lys, therefore, plays a protective role in reducing the Cr toxicity of B. napus through an increase in plant growth and lowering of Cr uptake in various plant organs. However, further studies at field levels are required to explore the mechanisms of Zn–lys mediated reduction of Cr and possibly other heavy metal toxicity in plants.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Tian ◽  
Basharat Ali ◽  
Yebo Qin ◽  
Zaffar Malik ◽  
Rafaqat A. Gill ◽  
...  

Lead (Pb) is a widely spread pollutant and leads to diverse morphological and structural changes in the plants. In this study, alleviating role of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in oilseed rape (Brassica napusL.) was investigated with or without foliar application of ALA (25 mg L−1) in hydroponic environment under different Pb levels (0, 100, and 400 µM). Outcomes stated that plant morphology and photosynthetic attributes were reduced under the application of Pb alone. However, ALA application significantly increased the plant growth and photosynthetic parameters under Pb toxicity. Moreover, ALA also lowered the Pb concentration in shoots and roots under Pb toxicity. The microscopic studies depicted that exogenously applied ALA ameliorated the Pb stress and significantly improved the cell ultrastructures. After application of ALA under Pb stress, mesophyll cell had well-developed nucleus and chloroplast having a number of starch granules. Moreover, micrographs illustrated that root tip cell contained well-developed nucleus, a number of mitochondria, and golgi bodies. These results proposed that under 15-day Pb-induced stress, ALA improved the plant growth, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic parameters, and ultrastructural modifications in leaf mesophyll and root tip cells of theB. napusplants.


2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surjendu K. Dey ◽  
Jayashree Dey ◽  
Sanjukta Patra ◽  
Debasmita Pothal

Wheat seedlings were grown in presence of CdCl2 (0-200 µM) and Pb(NO3)2 (0-2000 µM) separately. The growth of metal-treated seedlings was significantly depressed. The activities of antioxidative enzymes namely superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and guaiacol peroxidase (POX) were altered both in root and shoot tissues of 7-d-old seedlings. Under Cd stress, SOD activity in roots was undetectable even at the lowest Cd concentration (50 µM) whereas in shoots it declined sharply with increasing Cd levels. The activity of CAT declined to a greater extent in roots than in shoots. Even though the POX activity increased nine times in shoots, a decreasing trend was observed in root tissues due to Cd stress. Under Pb stress, the induction in SOD activity and decline in CAT activity were sharper in root tissues than in their shoot counterparts. The POX activity increased both in roots and shoots under Pb stress. Malondialdehyde concentration increased in both roots and shoots of Cd- and Pb-treated seedlings. The results suggest that metal toxicity was associated with oxidative stress. The decline in CAT activity may be the probable reason behind the Cd- and Pb-induced oxidative stress, since the alterations in SOD and POX activities showed different trends under these metal stresses.


Stresses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-265
Author(s):  
Chee Kong Yap ◽  
Wen Siang Tan ◽  
Koe Wei Wong ◽  
Ghim Hock Ong ◽  
Wan Hee Cheng ◽  
...  

The present study investigated the antioxidant enzyme activities (AEA) of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as biomarkers of Cu and Pb stress by using Centella asiatica grown in an experimental hydroponic condition. The results showed (i) higher accumulations of Cu and Pb in the roots of C. asiatica than those in the leaves, (ii) synergistic effects of Cu and Pb stress at higher metal-level exposures, and (iii) Cu and Pb stress triggered the increment of APX, CAT, GPX, and SOD levels in both the leaves and roots of C. asiatica. The increment of four AEA indicated that C. asiatica underwent oxidative stress caused by the production of reactive oxygen species when the plant was exposed to Cu and Pb. In order to prevent damages caused by Cu and Pb stress, the AEA system was heightened in C. asiatica, in which APX, CAT, GPX, and SOD can be used as biomarkers of Pb and Cu stress in the plant.


Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zulqurnain Haider ◽  
Sabir Hussain ◽  
Pia Muhammad Adnan Ramzani ◽  
Mutahar Iqbal ◽  
Muhammad Iqbal ◽  
...  

Lead (Pb)-polluted soils pose a serious threat to human health, particularly by transmitting this heavy metal to the food chain via the crops grown on them. The application of novel amendments in Pb-polluted soils can significantly reduce this problem. In this research, we report the effects of various organic and inorganic amendments i.e., bentonite (BN), biochar (BR), lignin (LN), magnesium potassium phosphate cement (CM) and iron hydroxyl phosphate (FeHP), on the Pb bioavailability in Pb-polluted soil, upon Pb distribution in shoots, roots, grain, the translocation factor (TF) and the bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Pb in pea (Pisum sativum L.) grain. Furthermore, effects of the said amendments on the plant parameters, as well as grain biochemistry and nutritional quality, were also assessed. Lead pollution significantly elevated Pb concentrations in roots, shoots and grain, as well as the grain TF and BCF of Pb, while reducing the nutritional quality and biochemistry of grain, plant height, relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll contents (chl a and chl b) and the dry weight (DW) of shoot, root and grain. The lowest Pb distribution in shoots, roots and grain were found with BN, FeHP and CM, compared to our control. Likewise, the BN, FeHP and CM significantly lowered the TF and BCF values of Pb in the order FeHP > CM > BN. Similarly, the highest increase in plant height, shoot, root and grain DW, RWC, chl a and chl b contents, grain biochemistry and the micronutrient concentrations, were recorded with BR amendment. Biochar also reduced grain polyphenols as well as plant oxidative stress. Given that the BR and BN amendments gave the best results, we propose to explore their potential synergistic effect to reduce Pb toxicity by using them together in future research.


Author(s):  
Mohsen Ebrahimi ◽  
Mohammad Kazem Souri ◽  
Amir Mousavi ◽  
Navazolah Sahebani

Abstract Background Drought is one of the most important environmental stresses that can adversely influence soil properties, plant growth, and productivity of agricultural crops including eggplant as an important vegetable crop. In recent years, the use of agricultural wastes has been reported as a beneficial and sustainable measure in soil water retention and fertility enhancement. In this study, the effect of date palm and pistachio biochar, vermicompost and a combination of biochar and vermicompost was evaluated on eggplant growth, yield and water use efficiency under deficit irrigation. Materials and methods The experiment was done in a split-split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications and under open field conditions. The main plot was deficit irrigation in three levels of 100, 75 and 50% of plant water requirement (PWR), and the sub-plots were vermicompost in two levels of 0, 1500 g m−2, and biochar in three levels of 0, 500 g m−2 of the pistachio biochar and 500 g m−2 of the date palm biochar. Results The results showed that soil amendment with vermicompost and pistachio biochar and 100% PWR showed the best plant growth and performance. The early crop yield was highest under pistachio biochar and 50% PWR, while the total plant yield was highest under combined application of vermicompost and pistachio biochar at 100% PWR. The plant water use efficiency was maximum under mixed application of vermicompost and pistachio biochar at 50% PWR. Application of both pistachio biochar and vermicompost at 100% PWR resulted in the highest leaf concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron and manganese. The highest levels of physiologically important stress metabolites, including malondialdehyde, guaiacol peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes were found in treatments without amendments or only with vermicompost and 50% PWR. Conclusion The results indicate that under normal and particularly water deficit conditions, vermicompost and biochar increased eggplant vegetative growth, yield and water use efficiency.


1970 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 17-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamal Singh ◽  
A. A. Khan ◽  
Iram Khan ◽  
Rose Rizvi ◽  
M. Saquib

Plant growth, yield, pigment and protein content of cow-pea were increased significantly at lower levels (20 and 40%) of fly ash but reverse was true at higher levels (80 and 100%). Soil amended by 60% fly ash could cause suppression in growth and yield in respect to 40% fly ash treated cow-pea plants but former was found at par with control (fly ash untreated plants). Maximum growth occurred in plants grown in soil amended with 40% fly ash. Nitrogen content of cow-pea was suppressed progressively in increasing levels of fly ash. Moreover,  Rhizobium leguminosarum  influenced the growth and yield positively but Meloidogyne javanica caused opposite effects particularly at 20 and 40% fly ash levels. The positive effects of R. leguminosarum were marked by M. javanica at initial levels. However, at 80 and 100% fly ash levels, the positive and negative effects of R. leguminosarum and/or M. javanica did not appear as insignificant difference persist among such treatments.Key words:  Meloidogyne javanica; Rhizobium leguminosarum; Fly ash; Growth; YieldDOI: 10.3126/eco.v17i0.4098Ecoprint An International Journal of Ecology Vol. 17, 2010 Page: 17-22 Uploaded date: 28 December, 2010  


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 498-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connor A.H. Thompson ◽  
Judy M.Y. Wong

Increasing evidence from research on telomerase suggests that in addition to its catalytic telomere repeat synthesis activity, telomerase may have other biologically important functions. The canonical roles of telomerase are at the telomere ends where they elongate telomeres and maintain genomic stability and cellular lifespan. The catalytic protein component Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) is preferentially expressed at high levels in cancer cells despite the existence of an alternative mechanism for telomere maintenance (alternative lengthening of telomeres or ALT). TERT is also expressed at higher levels than necessary for maintaining functional telomere length, suggesting other possible adaptive functions. Emerging non-canonical roles of TERT include regulation of non-telomeric DNA damage responses, promotion of cell growth and proliferation, acceleration of cell cycle kinetics, and control of mitochondrial integrity following oxidative stress. Non-canonical activities of TERT primarily show cellular protective effects, and nuclear TERT has been shown to protect against cell death following double-stranded DNA damage, independent of its role in telomere length maintenance. TERT has been suggested to act as a chromatin modulator and participate in the transcriptional regulation of gene expression. TERT has also been reported to regulate transcript levels through an RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRP) activity and produce siRNAs in a Dicer-dependent manner. At the mitochondria, TERT is suggested to protect against oxidative stress-induced mtDNA damage and promote mitochondrial integrity. These extra-telomeric functions of TERT may be advantageous in the context of increased proliferation and metabolic stress often found in rapidly-dividing cancer cells. Understanding the spectrum of non-canonical functions of telomerase may have important implications for the rational design of anti-cancer chemotherapeutic drugs.


Author(s):  
Merve Erkisa ◽  
Nazlihan Aztopal ◽  
Elif Erturk ◽  
Engin Ulukaya ◽  
Veysel T. Yilmaz ◽  
...  

Background: Cancer stem cells (CSC) are subpopulation within the tumor that acts a part in the initiation, progression, recurrence, resistance to drugs and metastasis of cancer. It is well known that epigenetic changes lead to tumor formation in cancer stem cells and show drug resistance. Epigenetic modulators and /or their combination with different agents have been used in cancer therapy. Objective: In our study we scope out the effects of combination of a histone deacetylases inhibitor, valproic acid (VPA), and Cu(II) complex [Cu(barb-κN)(barb-κ2N,O)(phen-κN,N’)]·H2O] on cytotoxicity/apoptosis in a stem-cell enriched population (MCF-7s) obtained from parental breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Methods: Viability of the cells was measured by the ATP assay. Apoptosis was elucidated via the assessment of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18 (M30 ELISA) and a group of flow cytometry analysis (caspase 3/7 activity, phosphatidylserine translocation by annexin V-FITC assay, DNA damage and oxidative stress) and 2ˈ,7ˈ–dichlorofluorescein diacetate staining. Results: The VPA combined with Cu(II) complex showed anti proliferative activity on MCF-7s cells in a dose- and time-dependently. Treatment with combination of 2.5 mM VPA and 3.12 μM Cu(II) complex induces oxidative stress in a time-dependent manner, as well as apoptosis that is evidenced by the increase in caspase 3/7 activity, positive annexin-V-FITC, and increase in M30 levels. Conclusion: The results suggest that the combination therapy induces apoptosis following increased oxidative stress, thereby making it a possible promising therapeutic strategy that further analysis is required.


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