scholarly journals Response of Corchorus olitorius Leafy Vegetable to Cadmium in the Soil

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1200
Author(s):  
Sibongokuhle Ndlovu ◽  
Rajasekhar V.S.R. Pullabhotla ◽  
Nontuthuko R. Ntuli

Corchorus olitorius, a leafy vegetable with high nutrient content, is normally collected from the wild, in areas that are prone to cadmium (Cd) toxicity. However, studies on how Cd accumulation affects vegetative and reproductive traits of leafy vegetables in South Africa are limited. Therefore, this study tested the effect of Cd accumulation on C. olitorius morphological traits. Plants were grown under various Cd concentrations and studied for variation in vegetative and reproductive traits as well as accumulation in roots and shoots. Plants exposed to 5 mg/kg Cd had longer roots with higher moisture content, heavier fresh and dried stems, as well as dried leaves, which indicated a hormetic effect in C. olitorius after exposure to low Cd concentration in the soil. Again, plants treated with 5–10 mg/kg Cd, accumulated toxic (>10 mg/kg dry weight) Cd within shoots and roots, with minor morphological alterations. Plants could survive, with some morphological defects, Cd toxicity up to 20 mg/kg in soil. Only plants exposed to 5 mg/kg could reproduce. Cd accumulation increased with an increase in the soil, with higher accumulation in shoots. The translocation factor was high (>1) in all Cd concentrations. In conclusion, C. olitorius can accumulate toxic Cd, and yet grow and reproduce either normally or better than the control. The proposed dose of Cd that induces hormesis in C. olitorius is 5 mg/kg in the soil. Therefore, C. olitorius is suitable for phytoremediation of Cd contaminated soils, but unsafe for consumption when it grows in such areas.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 3761
Author(s):  
Wen-Lii Huang ◽  
Wei-Hsiang Chang ◽  
Shu-Fen Cheng ◽  
Huai-Yuan Li ◽  
Hsiu-Ling Chen

Once in soil and water, metals can enter the food chain, and the consumption of contaminated crops can pose a serious risk to human health. This study used pot experiments to evaluate the accumulation of metal elements and their influence on levels of antioxidants in vegetables. The current study clearly demonstrates that metals accumulated in the five vegetables that were planted in the contaminated soils, especially so for water spinach. Cd accumulation of all of the vegetables planted in the contaminated soils was greater Cu. The low accumulation rate that was seen in sweet potato leaf, potato, and tomato indicated their suitability for planting in suspected contaminated soil, such as at farms nearby metal industries, in replacement of high accumulators, such as leafy vegetables. The non-carcinogenic HI of Cd exposure from water spinach and sweet potato were >1, whereas those for Cu were <1. This study suggests that residents may experience health risks due to vegetable consumption, and that children are vulnerable to the adverse effects of heavy metal ingestion.


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 912
Author(s):  
Shuming Liu ◽  
Hongmei Liu ◽  
Rui Chen ◽  
Yong Ma ◽  
Bo Yang ◽  
...  

Miscanthus spp. are energy plants and excellent candidates for phytoremediation approaches of metal(loid)s-contaminated soils, especially when combined with plant growth-promoting bacteria. Forty-one bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere soils and roots tissue of five dominant plants (Artemisia argyi Levl., Gladiolus gandavensis Vaniot Houtt, Boehmeria nivea L., Veronica didyma Tenore, and Miscanthus floridulus Lab.) colonizing a cadmium (Cd)-contaminated mining area (Huayuan, Hunan, China). We subsequently tested their plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits (e.g., production of indole-3-acetic acid, siderophore, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase) and Cd tolerance. Among bacteria, two strains, Klebsiella michiganensis TS8 and Lelliottia jeotgali MR2, presented higher Cd tolerance and showed the best results regarding in vitro growth-promoting traits. In the subsequent pot experiments using soil spiked with 10 mg Cd·kg−1, we investigated the effects of TS8 and MR2 strains on soil Cd phytoremediation when combined with M. floridulus (Lab.). After sixty days of planting M. floridulus (Lab.), we found that TS8 increased plant height by 39.9%, dry weight of leaves by 99.1%, and the total Cd in the rhizosphere soil was reduced by 49.2%. Although MR2 had no significant effects on the efficiency of phytoremediation, it significantly enhanced the Cd translocation from the root to the aboveground tissues (translocation factor > 1). The combination of K. michiganensis TS8 and M. floridulus (Lab.) may be an effective method to remediate Cd-contaminated soils, while the inoculation of L. jeotgali MR2 may be used to enhance the phytoextraction potential of M. floridulus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4160
Author(s):  
Farheen Nazli ◽  
Xiukang Wang ◽  
Maqshoof Ahmad ◽  
Azhar Hussain ◽  
Bushra ◽  
...  

Untreated wastewater used for irrigating crops is the major source of toxic heavy metals and other pollutants in soils. These heavy metals affect plant growth and deteriorate the quality of edible parts of growing plants. Phytohormone (IAA) and exopolysaccharides (EPS) producing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria can reduce the toxicity of metals by stabilizing them in soil. The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the IAA and EPS-producing rhizobacterial strains for improving growth, physiology, and antioxidant activity of Brassica juncea (L.) under Cd-stress. Results showed that Cd-stress significantly decreased the growth and physiological parameters of mustard plants. Inoculation with Cd-tolerant, IAA and EPS-producing rhizobacterial strains, however, significantly retrieved the inhibitory effects of Cd-stress on mustard growth, and physiology by up regulating antioxidant enzyme activities. Higher Cd accumulation and proline content was observed in the roots and shoot tissues upon Cd-stress in mustard plants while reduced proline and Cd accumulation was recorded upon rhizobacterial strains inoculation. Maximum decrease in proline contents (12.4%) and Cd concentration in root (26.9%) and shoot (29%) in comparison to control plants was observed due to inoculation with Bacillus safensis strain FN13. The activity of antioxidant enzymes was increased due to Cd-stress; however, the inoculation with Cd-tolerant, IAA-producing rhizobacterial strains showed a non-significant impact in the case of the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT) in Brassica juncea (L.) plants under Cd-stress. Overall, Bacillus safensis strain FN13 was the most effective strain in improving the Brassica juncea (L.) growth and physiology under Cd-stress. It can be concluded, as the strain FN13 is a potential phytostabilizing biofertilizer for heavy metal contaminated soils, that it can be recommended to induce Cd-stress tolerance in crop plants.


2020 ◽  
pp. 147-159
Author(s):  
Thangavelu Muthukumar ◽  
Selvam Dinesh-Babu

Investigamos el efecto de varias concentraciones (0,0-5,0 ppm) de cadmio (Cd) en la capacidad de regeneración; las características morfológicas y la acumulación de Cd en los esquejes de tallo de la verdura de hoja Talinum portulacifolium cultivada en cultivo hidropónico. El Cd retrasó la brotación de los esquejes en un 7%, la callosidad en un 8% y el enraizamiento en un 38%. Las diferentes concentraciones de Cd afectaron significativamente a los pesos fresco y seco de las partes de la planta, excepto las raíces. La acumulación de Cd fue mayor en los tallos que en las hojas (2,22 vs 0,57 ppm). El índice de tolerancia calculado osciló entre el 59% y el 88%. Basándose en las observaciones, se concluyó que el Cd interfiere con la regeneración de los esquejes de tallo de T. portulacifolium e implica preocupación sobre el consumo y el uso terapéutico de esta hortaliza de hoja que crece en suelos contaminados. We investigated the effect of various concentrations (0.0-5.0 ppm) of cadmium (Cd) on the regeneration ability; morphological characteristics and Cd accumulation in the leafy vegetable Talinum portulacifolium stem cuttings grown in hydroponic culture. Cd delayed sprouting of stem cuttings by 7%, callusing by 8% and rooting by 38%. Different Cd concentrations significantly affected fresh and dry weight of plant parts except roots. Accumulation of Cd was more in the stems than in leaves (2.22 vs 0.57 ppm). The calculated tolerance index ranged from 59% to 88%. Based on the observations it was concluded that Cd interferes with the regeneration of T. portulacifolium stem cuttings and imply concerns on the consumption and therapeutic use of this leafy vegetable growing on polluted soils.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhong-Wei Zhang ◽  
Yi-Ying Dong ◽  
Ling-Yang Feng ◽  
Zong-Lin Deng ◽  
Qiang Xu ◽  
...  

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) is a Cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator. However, high-level Cd at the early seedling stage seriously arrests the growth of rape, which limits its applications. Brassica juncea had higher Cd accumulation capacity, but its biomass was lower, also limiting its applications. Previous studies have confirmed that Selenium (Se) can alleviate Cd toxicity. However, the regulatory mechanism of Se in different valence states of Cd accumulation was unclear. In this study, we investigated the ameliorating effects of three Se valence states, Na2SeO4 [Se(VI)], Na2SeO3 [Se(IV)] and Se-Met [Se(II)], to Cd toxicity by physiological and biochemical approaches in hydroponically-cultured Brassica juncea and Brassica napus seedlings. Although Se treatments slightly inhibited seedling Cd concentration, it tripled or quadrupled the Cd accumulation level per plant, because dry weight increased about four times more with Se and Cd application than with Cd treatment alone. Among the different valence states of Se, Se(II) had the most marked effect on reducing Cd toxicity as evidenced by decreased growth inhibition and Cd content. The application of Se(II) was effective in reducing Cd-induced reactive oxygen species accumulation, and promoted the antioxidant enzyme activity and photosynthesis of both Brassica species. In addition, Se(II) treatment increased the concentrations of Cd in the cell wall and soluble fractions, but the Cd concentration in the organelle part was reduced.


1978 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urmila Pingle ◽  
B. V. Ramasastri

1. Plant foods, especially green leafy vegetables, are the cheapest and richest source of calcium in developing countries and are recommended in balanced diets. Hence it was worth while obtaining further information about the availability of Ca from these commonly-consumed green leaves.2. The green leafy vegetable belonging to Amaranthus spp. was taken as a suitable experimental model because it is not only commonly-consumed, but is also rich in Ca and oxalates. In the first experiment, each of the eight adult male subjects was given a basal diet containing negligible Ca, a milk diet and an ‘Amaranthus’ diet, both containing the same amount of Ca. These diets were given on 3 consecutive days and the urinary Ca excreted in a 6 h period after the test diet was considered an approximate index of Ca absorbed in that period. The second experiment was designed to study the influence of Amaranthus spp. on the availability of milk Ca. Each of the ten adult male subjects were given a basal diet, a milk diet and a diet containing the same amount of milk with Amaranthus spp. added to it. Urinary Ca excreted in a period of 6 h was estimated.3. While availability of Ca from milk was good, that from Amaranthus leaves was low. The ingestion of Amaranthus leaves together with milk adversely affected the absorption of milk Ca.4. In view of these findings, recommendation of green leaves as a regular source of Ca to the vulnerable section of the Indian Community should be considered with caution. Since green leaves are a main source of other nutrients, especially β-carotene, their consumption cannot be discouraged and hence leaves low in oxalates should be recommended.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 314
Author(s):  
Ling Li ◽  
Lu Liao ◽  
Yuhong Fan ◽  
Han Tu ◽  
Shui Zhang ◽  
...  

Environmental contextPhytoremediation requires an understanding of bioconcentration and translocation processes that determine behaviour and fate of potentially toxic elements. We studied the distribution of antimony and arsenic in terrestrial and aquatic soil-plant systems in an antimony ore zone. We found that the common climbing plant Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is suitable for phyto-stabilisation of antimony-bearing tailings, while tiger grass (Thysanolaena maxima) was able to extract antimony and arsenic from contaminated soils. AbstractAntimony (Sb) pollution is a major environmental issue in China. Many historical abandoned tailings have released high concentrations of Sb and its associated element arsenic (As) to surrounding environments. This has prompted the need to understand accumulation and translocation processes that determine the behaviour and fate of Sb and As in contaminated soil–plant systems and to identify suitable plant species for phytoremediation. Here we investigate distribution of Sb and As in terrestrial and aquatic dominant plant species and associated soils, all of which are naturally found in an Sb ore concentration area in south-west China. Total Sb and As concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The percentage of soluble Sb and As in the total concentrations were determined; the results showed that the basic soil environment facilitates the release of Sb and As from contaminated soils, and that Sb has higher mobility than As. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) were used for evaluating the ability of plants to accumulate and transport Sb and As, respectively. The results indicated that all selected plant species have the potential to tolerate high concentrations of Sb and As. Consequently, this study suggested that Pueraria lobata (PL) can be used as the preferred species for phytostabilisation of abandoned Sb-bearing tailings, given that PL has well-developed roots and lush leaf tissues and the ability to translocate Sb from roots to aboveground parts. Thysanolaena maxima (TM) is suitable for phyto-extraction of Sb and As in contaminated soils.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sławomir Dresler ◽  
Maciej Strzemski ◽  
Jozef Kováčik ◽  
Jan Sawicki ◽  
Michał Staniak ◽  
...  

The impact of long-term chronic cadmium stress (ChS, 0.1 µM Cd, 85 days) or short-term acute cadmium stress (AS, 10 µM Cd, 4 days) on Carlina acaulis (Asteraceae) metabolites was compared to identify specific traits. The content of Cd was higher under AS in all organs in comparison with ChS (130 vs. 16 µg·g−1 DW, 7.9 vs. 3.2 µg·g−1 DW, and 11.5 vs. 2.4 µg·g−1 DW in roots, leaves, and trichomes, respectively) while shoot bioaccumulation factor under ChS (ca. 280) indicates efficient Cd accumulation. High content of Cd in the trichomes from the AS treatment may be an anatomical adaptation mechanism. ChS evoked an increase in root biomass (hormesis), while the impact on shoot biomass was not significant in any treatment. The amounts of ascorbic acid and sum of phytochelatins were higher in the shoots but organic (malic and citric) acids dominated in the roots of plants from the ChS treatment. Chlorogenic acid, but not ursolic and oleanolic acids, was elevated by ChS. These data indicate that both chelation and enhancement of antioxidative power contribute to protection of plants exposed to long-term (chronic) Cd presence with subsequent hormetic effect.


2015 ◽  
Vol 143 (14) ◽  
pp. 3011-3021 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. M. HERMAN ◽  
A. J. HALL ◽  
L. H. GOULD

SUMMARYLeafy vegetables are an essential component of a healthy diet; however, they have been associated with high-profile outbreaks causing severe illnesses. We reviewed leafy vegetable-associated outbreaks reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1973 and 2012. During the study period, 606 leafy vegetable-associated outbreaks, with 20 003 associated illnesses, 1030 hospitalizations, and 19 deaths were reported. On average, leafy vegetable-associated outbreaks were larger than those attributed to other food types. The pathogens that most often caused leafy vegetable-associated outbreaks were norovirus (55% of outbreaks with confirmed aetiology), Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) (18%), and Salmonella (11%). Most outbreaks were attributed to food prepared in a restaurant or catering facility (85%). An ill food worker was implicated as the source of contamination in 31% of outbreaks. Efforts by local, state, and federal agencies to control leafy vegetable contamination and outbreaks should span from the point of harvest to the point of preparation.


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