Glutathione treatment suppresses the adverse effects of microplastics in rice.

Oryza sativa is grown worldwide and exhibit sensitivity to different stresses. Exponential increase in microplastics in agroecosystems is damaging and demand pragmatic strategies to protect growth and yield losses. We evaluated exogenous application of different doses of glutathione (GSH) for mediation of physiological traits of rice plants experiencing two different MPs i.e. PET and HDPE in root zone. All the rice seedlings exhibited MP-induced significant (P ≤ 0.001) growth inhibition compared to the control plants. GSH application (T3) significantly increased the shoot fresh weight (8.80%), root fresh weight (19.22%), shoot dry weight (13.705%), root dry weight (25.52%), plant height (5.75%) and 100-grain weight (9.36%), compared to control plants. GSH treated plants (T4) showed a recovery mechanism by managing the marginal rate of reduction of all photosynthetic and gas exchange attributes by showing 34.44, 20.98, 34.83, 42.16, 39.70, and 51.38% reduction for Chl-a, Chl-b, total cholophyll, photosynthetic rate (A), transpiration rate (E), and stomatal conductance (Gs), respectively, compared to control plants. Under 5 mg L-1 HDPE and PET, rice seedlings without GSH treatment responded in terms of increase in total soluble sugar, total free amino acid, glutathione, glutathione disulfide contents, while total soluble protein and ascorbic acid contents decreased significantly, compared with control plants. Corrleation matrix revealed positive relationship between GSH and improvement in studied attributes. Moreover, exogenous GSH improved rice growth and productivity to counter the negative role of MPs. This unique study examined the effects of GSH on rice plants growing in MP-contaminated media and revealed how exogenous GSH helps plants survive MP-stress.

Use of Parthenium hysterophorus with synthetic chelator for enhanced uptake of cadmium and lead from contaminated soils-a step toward better public health.

Parthenium hysterophorus L. is a vigorous plant species with cosmopolitan distribution. It can uptake considerable quantities of heavy metals from the soil and accrue these metals in its different tissue. The use of chelating agent i.e., Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) can boost up metal uptake capacity. Pot experiment was performed to evaluate phytoextraction potential of P. hysterophorus for lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) with and without the aid of EDTA chelator. Shoot length, weight of root and shoot (both fresh and dry), leaves number, and chlorophyll contents of P. hysterophorus got reduced with an increase in metal uptake. The results revealed the highest concentration of Cd in shoot without and with EDTA was 283.6 and 300.1 mg kg-1, correspondingly. Increase in Pb concentration was also boosted up by the EDTA from its maximum concentration in shoot 4.30-9.56 mg kg-1. Generally, Pb and Cd concentrations were greater in shoots of P. hysterophorus than the roots regardless of EDTA in the treatments. EDTA also impacted positively the accumulation of essential ions K+, Na+, and Ca+2 in P. hysterophorus. The capacity of P. hysterophorus to accumulate Pb and Cd found to be increased with EDTA in the soil. Bringing metals level in the soil in accordance to the WHO standards can improve the ecosystem as well as public health.

Assessment of Lead and Cadmium Pollution in Soil and Wild Plants at Different Functional Areas of Sialkot.

Heavy metal pollution is a great hazard to the environment that enters the ecosystem through different natural and anthropogenic sources. A study was performed to evaluate concentrations of Cd and Pb in selected plants, Ricinus communis and Parthenium hysterophorus, and soils from different functional sites in Sialkot. Maximum fresh and dry weights of R. communis were recorded from control and field sites. Highest concentrations of Cd in P. hysterophorus (33.5 mg kg-1) and R. communis (24.36 ± 2.83 mg kg-1) were recorded at residential and industrial sites, respectively. However, road site samples showed maximum concentrations of Pb both in R. communis (9.06 ± 0.35 mg kg-1) and P. hysterophorus (7.90 ± 0.36 mg kg-1). Soil from the road site were found to be highly acidic (pH 4.75 ± 0.04), while the field site showed highest EC (494 ± 3.60) and TDS (509 ± 3.00) values. Generally, there were reductions in chlorophyll a and carotenoids, but an increase in chlorophyll b was observed in both plants at all sites compared to the control.

Foliar architecture and physio-biochemical plasticity determines survival of Typha domingensis pers. Ecotypes in nickel and salt affected soil.

Six ecotypes of Typha domingensis Pers. Jahlar (E1), Sheikhupura (E2), Sahianwala (E3), Gatwala (E4), Treemu (E5) and Knotti (E6) from different ecological regions were collected to evaluate the leaf anatomical and biochemical attributes under different levels of salinity and nickel stress viz; L0 (control), L1 (100 mM + 50 mg kg-1), L2 (200 mM + 100 mg kg-1) and L3 (300 mM + 150 mg kg-1). Presence of salt and Ni in rooting medium consistently affected growth, anatomical and physio-biochemical attributes in all Typha ecotypes. Discrete anatomical modifications among ecotypes such as reduced leaf thickness, increased parenchyma area, metaxylem cell area, aerenchyma formation and improved metaxylem vessels were recorded with increasing dose of salt and Ni. The minimum anatomical damages were recorded in E1 and E6 ecotypes. In all ecotypes, progressive perturbations in ionic homeostasis (Na+, K+, Cl-, N) due to salt and metal toxicity were evident along with reduction in photosynthetic pigments. Maximum enhancement in Catalase (CAT), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Peroxidase (POD) and modulated Malondialdehyde (MDA) activity was recorded in E1 and E6 as compared to other ecotypes. Accumulation of large amounts of metabolites such as total soluble sugars, total free amino acids content in Jahlar, Knotti, Treemu and Sahianawala ecotypes under different levels of salt and Ni prevented cellular damages in T. domingensis Pers. The correlation analysis exhibited a close relationship among different levels of salinity and Ni with various plant attributes. PCA-Biplot verified our correlational analysis among various attributes of Typha ecotypes. An obvious separation of Typha characters in response to different salinity and Ni levels was exhibited by PC1. We recommend that genetic potential of T. domingensis Pers. To grow under salt and Ni stresses must be investigated and used for phytoremediation and reclamation of contaminated soil.

Elucidating the distinct interactive impact of cadmium and nickel on growth, photosynthesis, metal-homeostasis, and yield responses of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) varieties.

Contamination of soils with heavy metals (HMs) caused serious problems because plants tend to absorb HMs from the soil. In view of HM hazards to plants as well as agro-ecosystems, we executed this study to assess metal toxicity to mung bean (Vigna radiata) plants cultivated in soil with six treatment levels of cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) and to find metal tolerant variety, i.e., M-93 (V1) and M-1(V2) with multifarious plant biochemical and physiological attributes. Increasing doses of Cd and Ni inhibited plant growth and photosynthesis and both varieties showed highly significant differences in the morpho-physiological attributes. V2 showed sensitivity to Cd and Ni treatments alone or in combination. Tolerance indices for attributes presented a declined growth of Vigna plants under HM stress accompanied by highly significant suppression in gas exchange characteristics. Of single element applications, the adverse effects on mung bean were more pronounced in Cd treatments. V1 showed much reduction in photosynthesis attributes except sub-stomatal CO2 concentration in all treatments compared to V2. The yield attributes, i.e., seed yield/plant and 100-seed weight, were progressively reduced in T5 for both varieties. In combination, we have observed increased mobility of Cd and Ni in both varieties. The results showed that water use efficiency (WUE) generally increased in all the treatments for both varieties compared to control. V2 exhibited less soluble sugars and free amino acids compared to V1 in all the treatments. Similarly, we recorded an enhanced total free amino acid contents in both varieties among all the metal treatments against control plants. We conclude that combinatorial treatment proved much lethal for Vigna plants, but V1 performed better than V2 in counteracting the adverse effects of Cd and Ni.