Treatment of marble industry wastewater by Brassica napus (L.) under oxalic acid amendment: efficacy as fodder and carcinogenic risk assessment.

In the present study, Brassica napus, a food plant, was grown for phytoextraction of selected heavy metals (HMs) from marble industry wastewater (WW) under oxalic acid (OA) amendment. The hydroponic experiment was performed under different combination of WW with OA in complete randomized design. Photosynthetic pigments and growth reduction were observed in plants treated with WW alone amendments. The combination of OA in combination with WW significantly enhanced the growth of plants along with antioxidant enzyme activities compared with WW-treated-only plants. HM stress alone enhanced the hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde contents in plants. OA-treated plants were observed with enhanced accumulation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) concentrations in the roots and shoots of B. napus. The maximum concentration and accumulation of Cd in root, stem, and leaves was increased by 25%, 30%, and 30%; Cu by 42%, 24%, and 17%; and Pb by 45%, 24%, and 43%, respectively, under OA amendment. Average daily intake and hazard quotient (HQ) were calculated for males, females, and children in two phases of treatments in phytoremediation of metals before and after accumulation into B. napus leaves and stems. HQ of metals in the leaves and stem was < 1 before metal accumulation, whereas > 1 was observed after HM accumulation for all males, females, and children. Similarly, the hazard index of the three study types was found > 1. It was observed that the estimated excess lifetime cancer risk was of grade VII (very high risk), not within the accepted range of 1 × 10-4 to 1 × 10-6. Based on the present study, the increased levels of HMs up to carcinogenicity was observed in the B. napus which is not safe to be consumed later as food.

Effect of storage on the nutritional and antioxidant properties of brown Basmati rice.

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the effect of storage time and temperature on the nutritional and antioxidant values of different varieties of brown rice. PARB approved indigenous Basmati varieties (Basmati 86, Basmati 515, Basmati super, Basmati super fine and Basmati kainat) were procured and initially tested for physicochemical parameters, including moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and fibers from the brown rice powder. Similarly, antioxidant capacity of these brown rice samples was assessed in terms of total phenolic content and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging potential. Samples of brown rice were stored for 3 and 6 months at 25 and 5°C. On increasing the storage time and temperature, antioxidant activity of rice decreases up to 50%. Nutritional parameters, such as minerals, carbohydrates, and fatty acids were characterized using UV/Vis spectrophotometer, ICP-OES, GC-MS, and HPLC, revealing significant changes in the chemical composition of brown rice. Observation indicates that storage at high temperatures leads to a rapid decrease in carbohydrate and moisture content than at lower temperatures. The protein and ash content remains controlled and integrate with the mineral composition found. Decrease in the glucose and fructose amount was observed in brown rice varieties except for Basmati super fine and Basmati kainat at 5°C. Regarding fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acids were prominent in oils extracted from the different brown rice varieties, and their content was reduced during the storage due to conversion to behenic, and erucic acids, respectively. From the present study, it can be concluded that low storage temperatures reduce the loss of nutrients, offering better nutritional quality for the consumer.

Synergistic impact of two autochthonous saprobic fungi (A. niger and T. pseudokoningii) on the growth, ionic contents, and metals uptake in Brassica juncea L. and Vigna radiata L. under tannery solid waste contaminated soil.

Unrestricted disposal of tannery solid waste (TSW) into agricultural soils has resulted in the contamination of heavy metals (HMs) such as chromium (Cr) cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), and Zinc (Zn) along with the severe potential to degrade the environmental quality around the world. In the present study, a combined phyto- and myco-remediation strategy was evaluated to enhance the growth, ionic contents, and phytoextraction potential of Brassica juncea and Vigna radiata for HMs from TSW-contaminated soil. A pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse using single or combined inoculation of Trichoderma pseudokoningii (Tp) and Aspergillus niger (An) in B. juncea and V. radiata under TSW-contaminated soil at different doses (0, 50, and 100%). The results showed that the growth parameters of both B. juncea and V. radiata were severely affected under 50 and 100% TSW treatment. The combined inoculation of both the fungal species ameliorated the positive impacts of 50 and 100% TSW application on growth and ionic contents accumulation in B. juncea and V. radiata. The combined application of An + Tp at 100% TSW enhanced the shoot length (87.8, 157.2%), root length (123.9, 120.6%), number of leaves (184.2, 175.0%), number of roots (104.7, 438.9%), and dry weight (179.4, 144.8%) of B. juncea and V. radiata, respectively as compared to control with any fungal treatment at 100% TSW. A single application of An at different doses of TSW enhanced the metal concentration in B. juncea, whereas Tp increased the concentration of the metals in V. radiata. The concentration of Cr in roots (196.2, 263.8%), shoots (342.4, 182.2%), Cu in roots (187.6, 137.0%), shoots (26.6, 76.0%), Cd in roots (245.2, 184.6%), shoots (142.1, 73.4%), Zn in roots (73.4, 57.5%), shoots (62.9, 57.6%), in B. juncea were increased by the application of An at 50 and 100% treatment levels of TSW, respectively compared to control (C). Moreover, the HMs (Cr, Cu, Cd, and Zn) uptake was also improved under 50 and 100% TSW with the combined inoculation of Tp + An in both B. juncea and V. radiata. In conclusion, the combined inoculation of Tp + An was more effective in metal removal from TSW-treated soil.NOVELTY STATEMENTLimited studies have been conducted on filamentous fungi systematically under metal-contaminated sites for their diversity, metal tolerance, and their potential in enhancing the phytoremediation potential of different crop plants.In the present study, single and/or combined inoculation of fungal strains was found effective in alleviating different metals stress in tannery solid waste contaminated soil by improving defense mechanisms and plant growth due to the association between fungal strains and plants.The combined application of both fungal strains had an additive effect in enhancing the bioaccumulation capacity of B. juncea and V. radiata compared to their single inoculation.

Efficacy of marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) for the treatment of tannery and surgical industry wastewater under citric acid amendment: a lab scale study.

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.

Ameliorative role of foliar Zn-lysine application on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) stressed by Tannery Wastewater.

Tannery industries discharge a high concentration of chromium (Cr) along with other heavy metals, which are hazardous for all life forms. With increasing shortage of freshwater, tannery effluent is frequently used for crop an irrigation, causing damage to plants' health. In order to address this challenge, amino acid chelate fertilizer was used to investigate the impact on wheat crops against tannery waste water. Tannery wastewater (TW) was used at different levels such as 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100% with an amendment of foliar Zn-lysine (Zn-lys) at30 mg/L. This research highlighted the positive correlation of Zn-lysine on the morpho-physiological, biochemical, and gas exchange traits under different levels of tannery wastewater. The findings of this study showed that the application of Cr-rich tannery wastewater at different treatment levels resulted in a significant reduction in plant height (23%, 31%, and 36%), the number of tillers (21%, 30%, and 43%), spike (19%, 36%, and 55%) and dry weight (DW) of grains (10%, 25%, and 49%) roots DW (17%, 41%, 56%), and shoots DW (22%, 32%, and 47%) as compared to control. Foliar-applied Zn-lys positively enhanced photosynthetic attributes, antioxidant enzymes activities and gas exchange traits by reducing the oxidative stress alone and under Cr stress. The concentration of Cr in roots (21%, 37%, 38%) and shoots (11%, 36%, 37%) was reduced by the foliar application of Zn-lys at different treatment levels. These findings conclude that Zn-lys served as a protector for the growth and development of wheat and has an incredible potential to inhibit the phytotoxicity induced by excess Cr. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01265-6.

Microwave Irradiation and Glutamic Acid-Assisted Phytotreatment of Tannery and Surgical Industrial Wastewater by Sorghum.

We investigated how different doses of microwave irradiation (MR) affect seed germination in Sorghum, including the level of remediation against textile and surgical wastewater (WW) by modulating biochemical and morpho-physiological mechanisms under glutamic acid (GA) application. The experiment was conducted to determine the impact of foliar-applied GA on Sorghum under wastewater conditions. Plants were treated with or without microwave irradiation (30 s, 2.45 GHz), GA (5 and 10 mM), and wastewater (0, 25, 50, and 100). Growth and photosynthetic pigments were significantly decreased in plants only treated with various concentrations of WW. GA significantly improved the plant growth characteristics both in MR-treated and -untreated plants compared with respective controls. HMs stress increased electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content; however, the GA chelation significantly improved the antioxidant enzymes activities such as ascorbate oxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) both in MR-treated and -untreated plants under WW stress compared with respective controls. The results suggested that the MR-treated plants accumulate higher levels of HMs under GA addition in comparison to the WW-only-treated and MR-untreated plants. The maximum increase in Cd accumulation was observed in the range of 14-629% in the roots, 15-2964% in the stems, and 26-4020% in the leaves; the accumulation of Cu was 18-2757% in the roots, 15-4506% in the stems, and 23-4605% in the leaves; and the accumulation of Pb was 13-4122% in the roots, 21-3588% in the stems, and 21-4990% in the leaves under 10 mM GA and MR-treated plants. These findings confirmed that MR-treated sorghum plants had a higher capacity for HMs uptake under GA and could be used as a potential candidate for wastewater treatment.

Phytoremediation of contaminated industrial wastewater by duckweed (Lemna minor L.): Growth and physiological response under acetic acid application.

Extensive usage of heavy metals (HMs) in chemical reactions and processes eventually contaminate the environmental segments and is currently a major environmental concern. HMs such as cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) are considered the most harmful pollutants as they have adequate potential of bioaccumulation. The current research was carried out to assess the HMs toxicity of textile and tannery wastewater and effect of acetic acid (AA) on phytoextraction of HMs by duckweed (Lemna minor L.) in a hydroponic system. Plants were treated with different treatments having different hydroponic concentrations of AA (5 and 10 mM) and textile and tannery effluents, where these two effuents were equally mixed and then diluted with good quality water with different ratios (25, 50, 75, and 100%) along with three replications of each treatment. Results were recorded for growth attributes, chlorophylls, antioxidant enzymes, electrolytic leakage, reactive oxygen species and HMs accumulation in plants. HMs accumulation disrupts the growth parameters, chlorophyll contents and carotenoids contents along with increased activities of antioxidant enzyme such as catalases (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidases (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Addition of AA in the hydroponic experimental system significantly improves the antioxidant defense mechanism and alleviated the HM induced toxicity in plants. Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu and Ni concentrations were maximally increased up to 116 & 422%, 106 & 416%, 72 & 351%, 76 & 346%, and 41 & 328% respectively under AA (10 mM) application. The results revealed that duckweed can be applied as potential phyto-remedy to treat industrial wastewater.

Green photosensitisers for the degradation of selected pesticides of high risk in most susceptible food: A safer approach.

Pesticides are the leading defence against pests, but their unsafe use reciprocates the pesticide residues in highly susceptible food and is becoming a serious risk for human health. In this study, mint extract and riboflavin were tested as photosensitisers in combination with light irradiation of different frequencies, employed for various time intervals to improve the photo-degradation of deltamethrin (DM) and lambda cyhalothrin (λ-CHT) in cauliflower. Different source of light was studied, either in ultraviolet range (UV-C, 254 nm or UV-A, 320-380 nm) or sunlight simulator (> 380-800 nm). The degradation of the pesticides varied depending on the type of photosensitiser and light source. Photo-degradation of the DM and λ-CHT was enhanced by applying the mint extracts and riboflavin and a more significant degradation was achieved with UV-C than with either UV-A or sunlight, reaching a maximum decrement of the concentration by 67-76%. The light treatments did not significantly affect the in-vitro antioxidant activity of the natural antioxidants in cauliflower. A calculated dietary risk assessment revealed that obvious dietary health hazards of DM and λ-CHT pesticides when sprayed on cauliflower for pest control. The use of green chemical photosensitisers (mint extract and riboflavin) in combination with UV light irradiation represents a novel, sustainable, and safe approach to pesticide reduction in produce.

Efficacy of Lemna minor and Typha latifolia for the treatment of textile industry wastewater in a constructed wetland under citric acid amendment: A lab scale study.

Lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) are one of the most harmful heavy metals (HMs), entering into the food chain through the irrigation of crops with an industrial effluent. The present study was performed to evaluate the toxic effects of textile effluents and performance of citric acid (CA) on phytoextraction potential of Lemna minor L. and Typha latifolia L. in an artificially designed wetland. Different doses of textile wastewater (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) and CA (10 mM) were applied alone and in combination. Plants were harvested and the data was collected regarding agronomic traits, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant enzymes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), electrolytic leakage (EL) and HMs uptake and accumulation. The results depicted that the concentration and accumulation of Cu, Pb and Cr in different parts of T. latifolia plant was increased with and without CA addition. The maximum concentration of Pb, Cu and Cr increased in leaves by 279, 240 & 171%, in stem by 192, 172 & 154%, and in roots by 224, 183 & 168%, respectively. Similarly, the accumulation of Pb, Cu and Cr increased in leaves by 91, 71 & 36%, in stem by 57, 46 & 36% and in roots by 76, 53 & 45%, respectively in plants treated with 100% textile effluent as compared to the 25% textile effluent treated plants under CA amendment. In L. minor, the concentration of Pb, Cu & Cr increased by 542, 411 and 397% while accumulation increased by 101, 59 & 55% respectively in overall plant biomass.

Glutamic Acid-Assisted Phytomanagement of Chromium Contaminated Soil by Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.): Morphophysiological and Biochemical Alterations.

Chelator-assisted phytoremediation is an economical, sustainable, and ecologically friendly method of extracting heavy metals and metalloids from the soil. Organic chelators are thought to enhance metal availability and mobility in contaminated media, thereby improving phytoextraction. The aim of the present study was to examine whether exogenous application of glutamic acid (GA) could improve chromium (Cr) phytoextraction by sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.). Seeds were planted in plastic pots filled with 5 kg of local agricultural soil spiked with increasing concentrations of Cr (1, 2, and 5 mg kg-1). Glutamic acid (5 mM) was applied to soil in solution according to a completely randomized experimental design, and the sunflower plants were harvested after 8 weeks. The results indicated that increasing Cr-induced stress significantly inhibited plant growth, leading to reduced biomass, photosynthetic pigment content, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and leaf area of the sunflower plants. However, exogenous addition of GA significantly reduced the Cr-associated toxic effects while also increasing the accumulation of Cr in the plants. Moreover, increasing concentrations of Cr in the soil increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsible for the altered antioxidant enzyme activities. The results revealed that GA application to the topsoil enhanced the Cr concentration and accumulation in the root, stem, and leaves by up to 254, 225, 355, and 47, 59, 150% respectively. Further the GA addition reduced the Cr-induced toxicity in plants and might be helpful for enhancing Cr phytoextraction by sunflower plants.

Physiological and Biochemical Response of Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel) G. Nicholson under Acetic Acid Assisted Phytoextraction of Lead.

Heavy metals (HMs) stress causes severe damage to physiology and biochemistry of plant species leading to stunted growth and low yield. Phytoremediation via phytoextraction, a viable low-cost and environment-friendly alternative to other techniques that are often too expensive, impractical and hazardous. However, phytoextraction potential, physiological and biochemical response of various plant species against HMs stress is not fully understood. Among other HMs, lead (Pb) is an inorganic pollutant with deleterious biotic effects. Bioavailability and mobility of the Pb can be enhanced by addition of organic acids. A pot scale experiment was done to assess the effects of Pb on Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel) G. Nicholson and its ability to accumulate Pb with or without acetic acid (AA). The Results showed that Pb caused significant damage in A. bettzickiana, and its ecotoxicity was evident from increased levels of lipid peroxidation up to 107% under Pb stress. The significant decrease in plant height (32%), root length (21%), leaf area (38%) and number of leaves per plant (46%) was observed. On the other hand, application of AA to Pb stressed plants reduced the oxidative damage by further enhancing the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalases (CAT) up to 16% and 21% respectively. Moreover, addition of AA significantly improved plant total chlorophylls (15%) and carotenoids (50%). The application of AA also promoted Pb accumulation in leaf, stem and roots up to 70%, 65% and 66% respectively. This research concluded that AA has the ability to enhance the phytoextraction of Pb and support the plant growth and physiology under Pb stress condition.

Accumulation potential and tolerance response of Typha latifolia L. under citric acid assisted phytoextraction of lead and mercury.

Chelate-assisted phytoextraction by high biomass producing macrophyte plant Typha latifolia L. commonly known as cattail, is gaining much attention worldwide. The present study investigated the effects of Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg) on physiology and biochemistry of plant, Pb and Hg uptake in T. latifolia with and without citric acid (CA) amendment. The uniform seedlings of T. latifolia were treated with various concentrations in the hydroponics as: Pb and Hg (1, 2.5, 5 mM) each alone and/or with CA (5 mM). After four weeks of treatments, the results revealed that Pb and Hg significantly reduced the plant agronomic traits as compare to non-treated plants. The addition of CA improved the plant physiology and enhanced the antioxidant enzymes activities to overcome Pb and Hg induced oxidative damage and electrolyte leakage. Our results depicted that Pb and Hg uptake and accumulation by T. latifolia was dose depend whereas, the addition of CA further increased the concentration and accumulation of Pb and Hg by up to 22 & 35% Pb and 72 & 40% Hg in roots, 25 & 26% Pb and 85 & 60% Hg in stems and 22 & 15 Pb and 100 & 58% Hg in leaves respectively compared to Pb and Hg treated only plants. On other hand, the root-shoot translocation factor was ≥1 and bioconcentration factor was also ≥2 for both Pb & Hg. The results also revealed that T. latifolia showed greater tolerance towards Hg and accumulated higher Hg in all parts compared with Pb.

Efficacy of fenugreek plant for ascorbic acid assisted phytoextraction of copper (Cu); A detailed study of Cu induced morpho-physiological and biochemical alterations.

Phytoremediation via phyto-extraction is well recognized and sustainable principle for the economical removal of heavy metals from contaminated water and soil. The twofold objective of the present research work was to investigate the remediation potential of fenugreek for Cu under the influence of ascorbic acid (AA). The effect of copper-ascorbic acid chelation on the growth regulation of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graceum L.) and its potential to accumulate Cu was investigated in hydroponic medium to optimize concentration with complete randomized design (CRD). Juvenile fenugreek plants were treated with different treatments of AA (5 mM) and Cu (100, 250 and 500 µM). The different morpho-physiological parameters of fenugreek plant such as growth, biomass and chlorophylls were significantly reduced under Cu stress. However, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, electrolyte leakage and reactive oxygen species enhanced with increasing concentration of applied Cu. Results indicated significant increase in plant growth, biomass, physiology and antioxidant enzymes and decrease in reactive oxygen species and electrolyte production in AA mediated fenugreek plants compared to controls and Cu only treated plants. However, it was also found that AA enhanced Cu concentration maximum up to 42% in leaf, 18% in stem and 45% in roots as compared to Cu treated only plants. Moreover, application of AA signified the research results revealing to act as growth regulator and chelator under Cu stress.

Citric acid enhanced phytoextraction of nickel (Ni) and alleviate Mentha piperita (L.) from Ni-induced physiological and biochemical damages.

Phytoremediation is considered one of the well-established and sustainable techniques for the removal of heavy metals and metalloids from contaminated sites. The metal extraction ability of the plants can be enhanced by using suitable organic materials in combination with metal-tolerant plants. This experiment was carried out to investigate the phytoextraction potential of Mentha piperita L. for nickel (Ni) with and without citric acid (CA) amendment in hydroponic experiment. The experiment was performed in controlled glass containers with continuous aeration in complete randomized design (CRD). Juvenile M. piperita plants were treated with different concentrations of Ni (100, 250, and 500 µM) alone and/or combined with CA (5 mM). After harvesting the plants, the morpho-physiological and biochemical attributes as well as Ni concentrations in different tissues of M. piperita plants were measured. Results revealed that Ni stress significantly decreased the plant agronomic traits, photosynthesis in comparison to control. Nickel stress enhanced the antioxidant enzymes activities and caused the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in M. piperita. The CA treatment under Ni stress significantly improved the plant morpho-physiological and biochemical characteristics when compared with Ni treatments alone. The results demonstrated that CA enhanced the Ni concentrations in roots, stems, and leaves up to 138.2%, 54.2%, and 38%, respectively, compared to Ni-only-treated plants. The improvement in plant growth with CA under Ni stress indicated that CA is beneficial for Ni phytoextraction by using tolerant plant species. Graphical abstract.

Efficacy of Zea mays L. for the management of marble effluent contaminated soil under citric acid amendment; morpho-physiological and biochemical response.

The adverse industrial activities discharged contaminated wastewater directly into the water bodies that contain toxic substances such as heavy metals. The contours use of marble industrial effluents may affect the fertility of soil and crop growth. The present study was conducted to investigate the toxic effects of marble industrial effluents (M.E) on Zea mays L under the exogenous application of citric acid (CA) with different combinations such as marble industrial effluent (0, 30%, 60%, 100%) diluted with distilled water and CA (10 mM). The results showed significant decrease in the growth of Zea mays with increasing concentration of marble industrial effluent. The maximum reduction in plant height, root length, number of leaves, leaf area and fresh and dry biomass was observed at the application of 100% M.E as compared to control. Similar to growth conditions the photosynthetic machinery and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Peroxidases (POD), Catalases (CAT), Ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) was also decreased with increasing concentration of M.E. The application of CA significantly alleviated the M.E induced toxic effect on Zea mays and ameliorated the growth, biomass, photosynthesis and antioxidant enzymes activities by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species. The C.A application also enhanced the heavy metal content such as chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn) in different parts of Zea mays. The results concluded that the Zea mays tolerant varieties can be a potential candidate for the M.E irrigated soil and might be suitable for the phyto-extraction of Cr, Cd and Zn.

Hydrogen sulfide alleviates chromium stress on cauliflower by restricting its uptake and enhancing antioxidative system.

The present study evaluated the physiological and biochemical mechanisms through which exogenous sodium hydrosulfide (H2 S donor) mitigates chromium (Cr) stress in cauliflower. The different levels of Cr included 0, 10, 100 and 200 µM. Results reported that Cr exposure reduced growth and biomass, chlorophyll (Chl) contents, gas exchange parameters and enzymatic antioxidants. Chromium stress enhanced the production of electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and increased Cr content in the roots, stem, leaf and flowers. Exogenous H2 S improved the physiological and biochemical attributes of Cr-stressed cauliflower. Hydrogen sulfide decreased Cr content in different parts of Cr-stressed plants, whereas it increased the Chl contents and gas exchange attributes. H2 S reduced the EL, H2 O2 and MDA concentrations, enhancing the antioxidant enzymes activities in Cr-stressed roots and leaves compared to the Cr treatments alone. Collectively, our results provide an insight into the protective role of H2 S in Cr-stressed cauliflower and suggest H2 S as a potential candidate in reducing Cr toxicity in cauliflower and other crops.

Combined application of citric acid and 5-aminolevulinic acid improved biomass, photosynthesis and gas exchange attributes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) grown on chromium contaminated soil.

Phytoremediation is an important technique to remove heavy metals from contaminated soils due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The present study was conducted to assess the synergistic role of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and citric acid (CA) in improving the phyto-extraction of chromium (Cr) by sunflower. Sunflower plants were grown in soil, spiked with different concentrations of Cr (0, 5, 10, 20 mg kg-1). Various concentrations of 5-ALA (0, 10, 20 mg L-1) and CA (0, 2.5, 5 mM) were applied exogenously at juvenile stage. A significant decrease was observed in biomass and agronomic traits of sunflower under Cr stress alone. Further, Cr toxicity significantly decreased the plant growth, soluble proteins and photosynthetic pigments. However, exogenously applied ALA and CA significantly improved the plants' physiological as well as agronomic attributes by lowering the production of reactive oxygen species and reducing electrolyte leakage. Moreover, Cr uptake was increased with increasing concentration of Cr in spiked soil, which was further enhanced by combined application of ALA and CA.

Glutamic acid assisted phyto-management of silver-contaminated soils through sunflower; physiological and biochemical response.

Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and eco-friendly technique for the removal of heavy metal-contaminated soils and water. The less availability and mobility of heavy metals in medium decreased the efficiency of this technique. The mobility and availability of these metals in the medium can be enhanced by the addition of organic chelators. The present study was conducted to investigate the possibility of glutamic acid (GA) in improving silver (Ag) phytoextraction by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Different concentrations of Ag and GA were supplied in solution form in different combinations after defined intervals. Results depicted that increasing concentration of Ag significantly reduced the plant biomass, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant enzyme activities (like catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase). Furthermore, Ag stress increased the Ag concentration and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in sunflower plants. The addition of GA alleviated the Ag-induced toxicity in plants and enhanced Ag concentration and accumulation in sunflower. The addition of GA enhanced Ag accumulation in sunflower roots by 70, 79, 58, and 66% at 0-, 100-, 250-, and 500-µM Ag treatments, respectively, as compared to control plants. In conclusion, the results showed that Ag significantly reduced the physiological and biochemical attributes in term of reduced growth of sunflower and the addition of GA alleviated the Ag induced toxicity and enhanced Ag uptake. The results suggested that sunflower can be used as hyper-accumulator plant for the removal of Ag under GA. Further studies are required to understand the role of GA at gene and microscopic level in plants.

Phyto-management of chromium contaminated soils through sunflower under exogenously applied 5-aminolevulinic acid.

Soil contamination with heavy metals is threatening the food security around the globe. Chromium (Cr) contamination results in poor quality and reduction in yield of crops. The present research was performed to figure out the Cr toxicity in sunflower and the ameliorative role of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) as a plant growth regulator. The sunflower (FH-614) was grown under increasing concentration of Cr (0, 5, 10 and 20mgkg-1) alone and/or in combination with 5-ALA (0, 10 and 20mgL-1). Results showed that Cr suppressed the overall growth, biomass, gas exchange attributes and chlorophyll content of sunflower plants. Moreover, lower levels of Cr (5 and 10mgkg-1) increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and electrolyte leakage (EL) along with the activities of antioxidant enzymes i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacole peroxidase (POD), ascorbate (APX), catalase (CAT). But at higher concentration of Cr (20mgkg-1), the activities of these enzymes presented a declining trend. However, the addition of 5-ALA significantly alleviated the Cr-induced toxicity in sunflower plant and enhanced the plant growth and biomass parameters along with increased chlorophyll content, gas exchange attributes, soluble proteins and soil plant analysis development (SPAD) values by scavenging the ROS and lowering down the EL. The 5-ALA also enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes at all levels of Cr. The increase in Cr concentration in all plant parts such as leaf, root and stem was directly proportional to the Cr concentration in soil. The application of 5-ALA further enhanced the uptake of Cr and its concentration in the plants. To understand this variation in response of plants to 5-ALA, detailed studies are required on plant biochemistry and genetic modifications.

Effect of zinc-lysine on growth, yield and cadmium uptake in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and health risk assessment.

Cadmium (Cd) is among the most widespread toxic trace elements found in agricultural soils due to various anthropogenic activities. The role of micronutrient-amino chelates on reducing Cd toxicity in crop plants is recently introduced. The current study was conducted to highlight the role of foliar application of zinc-lysine (Zn-lys) complex on biochemical and growth parameters and Cd uptake in wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in aged Cd-contaminated soil. Foliar concentration of Zn-lys (0, 10, 20, and 30 mg L-1) was applied at different time intervals (2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th week of sowing) and plants were harvested at maturity. Folliar application of Zinc-lys significantly increased the photosynthesis, grain yield, enzyme activities and Zn contents in different plant tissues. Zinc-lys reduced Cd contents in grains, shoot and root as well as reduced the oxidative stress in wheat linearly in a dose-additive manner. Taken together, Zn-lys chelate efficiently improved wheat growth and fortified Zn contents while reduced Cd concentration in plant in a Zn-deficient Cd-contaminated soil. Although, health risk index (HRI) from the soil sampling area seems to be lower than <1 for Cd but may exceed due to long-term consumption of grains produced from such contaminated soil. Foliar applied Zn-lys reduced HRI which may help to reduce health risks associated with Cd.