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Nosratabadi S, Kavousi HR, Sarcheshmehpour M, Mansouri M. Assessment of the Cu phytoremediation potential of Chrysanthemum indicum L. and Tagetes erecta L. using analysis of growth and physiological characteristics. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:42445-42460. [PMID: 38872040 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33941-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
In the current study, the Cu phytoremediation ability of two ornamental plants, Chrysanthemum indicum L. and Tagetes erecta L., was tracked concerning the growth and physiological responses. Plants were subjected to varying concentrations of Cu (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) under the pot experiment for 8 weeks. The results showed that the measured growth and physiological characteristics declined in T. erecta shoots and roots at all tested treatments compared with the control. However, in C. indicum at 100 mg/kg, shoot biomass, shoot total soluble protein, and leaves number remained equal to that of the control and then reduced by rising Cu concentrations, compared with the control. Also, results indicated that in C. indicum, after 56 days of exposure to Cu, the chlorophyll pigments content markedly increased and reached a maximum level at 100 mg/kg dose and gradually declined with enhancing Cu concentrations, compared with the control. Other measured growth and physiological parameters decreased in both tissues of C. indicum in response to Cu usage in the growth medium. The carotenoid content of T. erecta decreased in all studied Cu levels in comparison to the control, but in C. indicum remained unaffected up to 200 mg/kg Cu in comparison to the control and then enhanced with increasing Cu level. The augmentation of antioxidant enzyme activity in two species, especially in roots, reflected the incident of Cu stress as demonstrated by elevated MDA and ion leakage levels. Data concerning copper accumulation in tissues, TF, and BAF showed T. erecta is a weak Cu accumulator and seems not to be an appropriate candidate for Cu phytoremediation. However, the Cu content in shoots and roots of C. indicum increased significantly with an increment in applied Cu level. Also, C. indicum accumulated higher Cu concentrations in the roots than in shoots and exhibited TF < 1, 0.1 < BAF root < 1, and can be considered as a Cu excluder by the phytostabilization mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Nosratabadi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Kavousi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Sarcheshmehpour
- Department of Soil Science Engineering, College of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mansouri
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
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Fatima A, Farid M, Asam ZUZ, Zubair M, Farid S, Abbas M, Rizwan M, Ali S. Efficacy of marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) for the treatment of tannery and surgical industry wastewater under citric acid amendment: a lab scale study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:43403-43418. [PMID: 36658313 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25299-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Contamination of land and aquatic ecosystems with heavy metals (HMs) is a global issue having the persistent potential to damage the quality of food and water. In the present study, Tagetes erecta L. plants were used to assess their potential to uptake HMs from wastewater. Plants were grown in soil for 20 days and then transplanted in hydroponic system containing Hoagland nutrient solution. After more than 15 days of growth, plants were then subjected to wastewater from tannery and surgical industries in different concentrations ranging from 25 to 100% in combination of citric acid (5 and 10 mM). After 6 weeks of treatment, plants were collected and segmented into roots, stem, and leaves for characterizing the morphological properties including plant height, roots length, fresh and dry mass of roots, stem, and leaves. For evaluation of the effect of wastewater on the plants, photosynthetic pigments; soluble proteins; reactive oxygen species (ROS); antioxidant enzymes SOD, POD, CAT, and APX; and metal accumulation were analyzed. Application of industrial wastewater revealed a significant effect on plant morphology under wastewater treatments. Overall growth and physiological attributes of plant decreased, and metal accumulation enhanced with increasing concentration of wastewater. Similarly, the production of ROS and antioxidant enzymes were also increased. Chlorophyll, protein content, and enzyme production enhanced with CA (5 and 10 mM) mediation; however, ROS production and EL were reduced. Metals analysis showed that the maximum accumulation of Pb was in roots, while Cr and Ni in the stem which further increased under CA mediation. Overall, the metal accumulation ability was in the order of Pb > Ni > Cr under CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arooj Fatima
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, 50700, Pakistan
| | - Mujahid Farid
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, 50700, Pakistan.
| | - Zaki Ul Zaman Asam
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, 50700, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zubair
- Department of Chemistry, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, 50700, Pakistan
| | - Sheharyaar Farid
- Earth and Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - Mohsin Abbas
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Gujrat, Hafiz Hayat Campus, Gujrat, 50700, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Rizwan
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shafaqat Ali
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan
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Ndiate NI, Qun CL, Nkoh JN. Importance of soil amendments with biochar and/or Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi to mitigate aluminum toxicity in tamarind ( Tamarindus indica L.) on an acidic soil: A greenhouse study. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09009. [PMID: 35243108 PMCID: PMC8886007 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tamarindus indica L. is a forest plant species widely used in semi-arid regions and has an important socio-economic role. A 90 d greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of soil amendments with biochar and/or three Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) strains; Rhizophagus fasciculatus (Rf), Rhizophagus aggregatus (Ra), and Rhizophagus irregularis (Ri) on T. indica grown under aluminum stress. The amendments consisted of 5% biochar and 20 g kg−1 AMF as (i) control; (ii) biochar; (iii) biochar + Rf; (iv) biochar + Ra; (v) biochar + Ri; (vi) Rf; (vii) Ra; (viii) Ri. The treatments with biochar significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil pH and reduced the content of soil exchangeable Al3+ relative to the control and exclusive AMF treatments. All the treatments improved total nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by roots and shoot of T. indica and resulted in improved plant growth and root/shoot dry weight. The ability of biochar to enhance the soil's water-holding capacity played a key role in improving the intensity of mycorrhization. Overall, biochar amendments significantly improved the photosynthetic potential of T. indica and the activities of antioxidant enzymes compared to other treatments. Thus, the combined effects of enhanced (a) soil physicochemical parameters, (b) mycorrhization, (c) nutrient uptake, (d) photosynthetic potential, and (e) antioxidant activities played an important role in mitigating Al-related stress to improve the growth of T. indica. Therefore, the application of biochar in combination with AMFs can serve as a strategy for ensuring plant biodiversity in acid and Al-toxic soils in arid and semi-arid regions in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ndiaye Ibra Ndiate
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.,Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Cai Li Qun
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.,Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Arid Land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Jackson Nkoh Nkoh
- Organization of African Academic Doctors, Off Kamiti Road P.O. Box 25305-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.,State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 821, Nanjing, 210008, China
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Phytochemical Profile, Antioxidant Activity, and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Tagetes erecta L. Flowers. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26051201. [PMID: 33668106 PMCID: PMC7956293 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tagetes erecta L. is a popular ornamental plant of the Asteraceae family, which is widely cultivated not only for its decorative use, but also for the extraction of lutein. Besides carotenoid representatives, which have been extensively studied, other important classes of secondary metabolites present in the plant, such as polyphenols, could exhibit important biological activities. The phytochemical analysis of a methanolic extract obtained from T. erecta inflorescences was achieved using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques. The extract was further subjected to a multistep purification process, which allowed the separation of different fractions. The total extract and its fractions contain several polyphenolic compounds, such as hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, flavonols (especially quercetagetin glycosides), and several aglycons (e.g., quercetin, patuletin). One of the fractions, containing mostly quercetagitrin, was subjected to two different antioxidant assays (metal chelating activity and lipoxygenase inhibition) and to in vitro cytotoxicity assessment. Generally, the biological assays showed promising results for the investigated fraction compared to the initial extract. Given the encouraging outcome of the in vitro assays, further purification and structural analysis of compounds from T. erecta extracts, as well as further in vivo investigations are justified.
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Kullu B, Patra DK, Acharya S, Pradhan C, Patra HK. AM fungi mediated bioaccumulation of hexavalent chromium in Brachiaria mutica-a mycorrhizal phytoremediation approach. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 258:127337. [PMID: 32947656 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The experiment was designed to evaluate the roles of Rhizophagus irregularis on chlorophyll fluorescence and chromium bioaccumulation in a grass species (Brachiaria mutica) by supplementing Cr+6 at different concentrations. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) association facilitated lessening of chromium level in contaminated soil and enhanced chromium bioavailability in Brachiaria mutica. The mycorrhizal inoculated increased the chlorophyll (0.925 mg/g), carotenoid (0.127 mg/g), protein (2.883 mg/g), proline (0.889 mg/g) contents and activities of antioxidant enzymes like catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase. The mycorrhizal inoculated plants also showed enhanced overall photosynthetic performance (PIϕ = 2.473) and enhanced PS-II to PS-I electron transport as evident from yield parameter (0.712) and TR0/RC (2.419) for 60 mg/kg Cr+6 treatment. The observations suggest that AMF association could defend the plants from chromium stress by elevating the number of antioxidants in plants. Rhizophagus irregularis was found to maintain a successful symbiotic relationship with Brachiaria mutica in chromium contaminated soil. The observations recommended that Rhizophagus irregularis in association with Brachiaria mutica would be an innovative approach for decontamination of Cr+6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bandana Kullu
- Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Odisha, India
| | - Deepak Kumar Patra
- Department of Botany, Nimapara Autonomous College, Nimapara, Puri, 752106, Odisha, India
| | - Srinivas Acharya
- Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Odisha, India
| | - Chinmay Pradhan
- Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Odisha, India.
| | - Hemanta Kumar Patra
- Department of Botany, Utkal University, Vani Vihar, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Odisha, India
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Alvarado-López CJ, Dasgupta-Schubert N, Ambriz JE, Arteaga-Velazquez JC, Villegas JA. Lead uptake by the symbiotic Daucus carota L.-Glomus intraradices system and its effect on the morphology of extra- and intraradical fungal microstructures. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:381-391. [PMID: 30402695 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3569-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This work examines the strategies adopted by an arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiotic system to ameliorate environmental Pb stress by examining the concentrations of P, Fe, and Pb in the fungal microstructures and the host's root. In vitro cultures of Ri-T DNA-transformed carrot (Daucus carota L.) roots were inoculated with Glomus intraradices and treated with Pb(NO3)2 solution and the extraradical spores and mycelia (S/M) and the root with the vesicles, mycelia, and root cells were subsequently analyzed by polarized energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (PEDXRF) spectrometry. Upon Pb treatment, within the root, the percentages of mycorrhizal colonization, the vesicles, and mycelia increased as well as the areas of the vesicles and the (extraradical) spores, although the number of spores and arbuscules decreased. The S/M and the mycorrhizal root showed enhanced concentrations of Pb, Fe, and P. These were particularly marked for Fe in the Pb-treated cultures. This indicates a synergistic relationship between the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and the host that confers a higher Pb tolerance to the latter by the induction of higher Fe absorption in the host. The intraradical vesicle, mycelia, and arbuscule numbers are interpreted as a "tactic to divert" the intraradical Pb traffic away from the root cells to the higher affinity cell walls of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) microstructures in the apoplast. The results of this work show that the symbiosis between the AMF G. intraradices and the host plant D. carota distinctly improves the latter's Pb tolerance, and imply that the appropriate metal tolerant host-AMF combinations could be employed in process designs for the phytoremediation of Pb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Juan Alvarado-López
- Catedratico CONACYT, División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal, CP 97345, Conkal, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Nabanita Dasgupta-Schubert
- Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Cd. Universitaria, CP 58060, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
| | - Jorge Enrique Ambriz
- Ingeniería en la Tecnología de la Madera, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Cd. Universitaria, CP 58060, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Juan Carlos Arteaga-Velazquez
- Instituto de Física y Matemáticas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Cd. Universitaria, CP, 58060, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Javier A Villegas
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Cd. Universitaria, CP 58060, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
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Huang X, An G, Zhu S, Wang L, Ma F. Can Cd translocation in Oryza sativa L. be attenuated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the presence of EDTA? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:9380-9390. [PMID: 29349740 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-1157-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play an important role in plant tolerance of heavy metal contamination. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to illustrate the effects of the two AM fungi species Funneliformis mosseae (Fm) and Rhizophagus irregularis (Ri) on plant growth of Oryza sativa L. either with or without ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA) addition and during exposure to five Cd concentrations (in the range of 0-5 mg kg-1). The results showed that Fm inoculation achieved greater mycorrhizal colonization and mycorrhizal dependency indexes than Ri inoculation. In addition, the effects of AM fungi on Cd biosorption and translocation in rice were also investigated in the presence of EDTA. Despite cooperative adsorption, the Freundlich isotherm could describe the biosorption effects of Cd on rice roots regardless of AM fungi inoculation or EDTA addition. Cd concentrations in mycorrhizal roots increased but decreased in mycorrhizal shoots in contrast to the control treatment. Although EDTA addition negatively inhibited the uptake of Cd to mycorrhizal shoots, lower translocation factor (TF) and bioconcentration factor (BCF) were still observed in treatments with EDTA compared to control treatment. Our findings suggest that Ri and Fm inoculation enhanced Cd immobilization in the roots, thus preventing Cd entry into the food chain during exposure to low and high Cd stress, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangnan An
- Appraisal Center for Environment & Engineering Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing, 100020, People's Republic of China
| | - Shishu Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China.
| | - Fang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, People's Republic of China.
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Kang W, Bao J, Zheng J, Xu F, Wang L. Phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil potential by woody plants on Tonglushan ancient copper spoil heap in China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION 2018; 20:1-7. [PMID: 27014830 DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2014.950412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Fast-growing metal-accumulating woody plants are considered potential candidates for phytoremediation of metals. Tonglushan mining, one of the biggest Cu production bases in China, presents an important source of the pollution of environment. The sample was collected at Tonglushan ancient copper spoil heap. The aims were to measure the content of heavy metal in the soil and woody plants and to elucidate the phytoremediation potential of the plants. The result showed that soil Cu, Cd and Pb were the main contamination, the mean contents of which were 3166.73 mg/kg, 3.66 mg/kg and 137.06 mg/kg respectively, which belonged to severe contamination. Fourteen species from 14 genera of 13 families were collected and investigated; except for Ligutrum lucidum, the other 13 woody plants species were newly recorded in this area. In addition, to assess the ability of metal accumulation of these trees, we proposed accumulation index. Data suggested that Platanus × acerilolia, Broussonetia papyrifera, Ligutrum lucidum, Viburnum awabuki, Firmiana simplex, Robina pseudoacacia, Melia azedarach and Osmanthus fragrans exhibited high accumulated capacity and strong tolerance to heavy metals. Therefore, Platanus × acerilolia and Broussonetia papyrifera can be planted in Pb contaminated areas; Viburnum awabuki, Firmiana simplex, Robina pseudoacacia and Melia azedarach are the suitable trees for Cd contaminated areas; Viburnum awabuki, Melia azedarach, Ligutrum lucidum, Firmiana simplex, Osmanthus fragrans and Robina pseudoacacia are appropriate to Cu, Pb and Cd multi-metal contaminated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Kang
- a State key laboratory of biogeology and environmental geology , China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , People's Republic of China
- b Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Mining Area Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation , Hubei Polytechnic University , Huangshi , People's Republic of China
| | - Jianguo Bao
- a State key laboratory of biogeology and environmental geology , China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Zheng
- b Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Mining Area Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation , Hubei Polytechnic University , Huangshi , People's Republic of China
| | - Fen Xu
- a State key laboratory of biogeology and environmental geology , China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , People's Republic of China
| | - Liuming Wang
- a State key laboratory of biogeology and environmental geology , China University of Geosciences , Wuhan , People's Republic of China
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Ali N, Masood S, Mukhtar T, Kamran MA, Rafique M, Munis MFH, Chaudhary HJ. Differential effects of cadmium and chromium on growth, photosynthetic activity, and metal uptake of Linum usitatissimum in association with Glomus intraradices. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2015; 187:311. [PMID: 25934052 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4557-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The current study was aimed at analyzing the differential effects of heavy metals (cadmium and chromium) and mycorrhizal fungus; Glomus intraradices on growth, chlorophyll content, proline production, and metal accumulation in flax plant (Linum usitatissimum L.). Heavy metal accumulation rate in flax varied from 90 to 95 % for Cd and 61-84 % for Cr at a concentration range of 250 to 500 ppm for both metals in 24 days of experiment. Growth and photosynthetic activity of flax reduced to an average of 21 and 45 %, respectively. However, inoculation of G. intraradices significantly increased the plant biomass even under metal stressed conditions. Additionally, mycorrhizal association also assists the Cd and Cr increased uptake by 23 and 33 %, respectively. Due to metal stress, chlorophyll contents were decreased by 27 and 45 %, while 84 and 71 % increased proline content was observed under Cd and Cr stress, respectively. The present results clearly signify the differential response and potential of flax plant towards heavy metal tolerance and accumulation that can further increase with mycorrhizal fungus.
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