Biochar alters chemical and microbial properties of microplastic-contaminated soil.

The occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in soils can negatively affect soil biodiversity and function. Soil amendments applied to MP-contaminated soil can alter the overall soil properties and enhance its functions and processes. However, little is known about how soil amendments improve the quality of MP-contaminated soils. Thus, the present study used a microcosm experiment to explore the potential effects of four types of biochar on the chemical and microbial properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MP-contaminated soil under both drought and well-watered conditions. The results show that the biochars altered soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorous, and total exchangeable cations (TEC) with some variability depending on the biochar type. Oilseed rape straw (OSR)-derived biochars increased soil pH, EC, and TEC under both water conditions with the highest values of 7.94, 0.54 dS m-1 and 22.0 cmol(+) kg-1, respectively. Soil enzyme activities varied under all treatments; in particular, under drought conditions, the fluorescein diacetate activity increased in soils with high temperature (700 °C) biochar. The application of soft wood pellet biochar (700 °C) to MP-contaminated soil increased urease activity by 146% under well-watered conditions. OSR-derived biochars significantly reduced soil acid phosphatase activity under both water conditions. With biochar supplementation, the diversity indices of the bacterial community increased in well-watered soil but not in soil under drought conditions. The abundance of bacterial phyla, such as Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Dictyoglomi, and Gemmatimonadetes, was relatively high in all treatments. Biochar application resulted in negligible variations in bacterial communities under drought conditions but significant variations under well-watered conditions. The findings of this study imply that biochar can be used as a soil amendment to improve the overall soil quality of MP-contaminated soil, but its impact varies depending on the pyrolysis feedstock and temperature. Thus, selecting a suitable biochar is important for improving the soil quality in MP-contaminated soils.

Transcriptional Comparison of Genes Associated with Photosynthesis, Photorespiration, and Photo-Assimilate Allocation and Metabolic Profiling of Rice Species.

The ever-increasing human population alongside environmental deterioration has presented a pressing demand for increased food production per unit area. As a consequence, considerable research effort is currently being expended in assessing approaches to enhance crop yields. One such approach is to harness the allelic variation lost in domestication. This is of particular importance since crop wild relatives often exhibit better tolerance to abiotic stresses. Here, we wanted to address the question as to why wild rice species have decreased grain production despite being characterized by enhanced rates of photosynthesis. In order to do so, we selected ten rice species on the basis of the presence of genome information, life span, the prominence of distribution, and habitat type and evaluated the expression of genes in photosynthesis, photorespiration, sucrose and starch synthesis, sucrose transport, and primary and secondary cell walls. We additionally measured the levels of a range of primary metabolites via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results revealed that the wild rice species exhibited not only higher photosynthesis but also superior CO2 recovery by photorespiration; showed greater production of photosynthates such as soluble sugars and starch and quick transportation to the sink organs with a possibility of transporting forms such as RFOs, revealing the preferential consumption of soluble sugars to develop both primary and secondary cell walls; and, finally, displayed high glutamine/glutamic acid ratios, indicating that they likely exhibited high N-use efficiency. The findings from the current study thus identify directions for future rice improvement through breeding.

Characterization of Metabolic Changes under Low Mineral Supply (N, K, or Mg) and Supplemental LED Lighting (Red, Blue, or Red-Blue Combination) in Perilla frutescens Using a Metabolomics Approach.

In order to achieve premium quality with crop production, techniques involving the adjustment of nutrient supply and/or supplemental lighting with specific light quality have been applied. To examine the effects of low mineral supply and supplemental lighting, we performed non-targeted metabolite profiling of leaves and stems of the medicinal herb Perilla frutescens, grown under a lower (0.75×) and lowest (0.1×) supply of different minerals (N, K, or Mg) and under supplemental light-emitting diode (LED) lighting (red, blue, or red-blue combination). The lowest N supply increased flavonoids, and the lowest K or Mg slightly increased rosmarinic acid and some flavonoids in the leaves and stems. Supplemental LED lighting conditions (red, blue, or red-blue combination) significantly increased the contents of chlorophyll, most cinnamic acid derivatives, and rosmarinic acid in the leaves. LED lighting with either blue or the red-blue combination increased antioxidant activity compared with the control group without LED supplementation. The present study demonstrates that the cultivation of P. frutescens under low mineral supply and supplemental LED lighting conditions affected metabolic compositions, and we carefully suggest that an adjustment of minerals and light sources could be applied to enhance the levels of targeted metabolites in perilla.

Impacts of biochar application on upland agriculture: A review.

Soil degradation has become an emerging global problem limiting sustainable upland crop production. Soil erosion, soil acidity, low fertility, inorganic/organic contamination, and salinization challenge food security and lead to severe economic constraints. Therefore, a new research agenda to develop cost-beneficial amendments for improving upland soil quality and productivity is urgently required. Biochar has been used in recent years to mitigate the problems mentioned above. Application of biochar improves the upland soil quality through significant changes in soil physicochemical and biological properties, thereby substantially increasing crop yield. This review article aims to discuss the effects of biochar on upland soil quality and productivity based on biochar-soil interactions. The yield of various upland crops can be enhanced by biochar-induced increases of nutrient availability and topsoil retention/recovery. Furthermore, biochar can assist in controlling unsuitable soil acidity/alkalinity/salinity and remediating a contaminated soil while increasing the retention of soil organic carbon, water content, and thereby high crop yield. Biochar is strongly recommended as one of the best management practices to meet the challenges of upland agriculture. However, the properties of biochar and soil type should be considered carefully prior to application.

Correction to: Effects of carbon nanotube and biochar on bioavailability of Pb, Cu and Sb in multi-metal contaminated soil.

Unfortunately, in the original publication of the article, Prof. Yong Sik Ok's affiliation was incorrectly published. The author's affiliation is as follows.

Effects of carbon nanotube and biochar on bioavailability of Pb, Cu and Sb in multi-metal contaminated soil.

This study examined the effects of carbon nanotube and biochar on the bioavailability of Pb, Cu and Sb in the shooting range soils for developing low-cost remediation technology. Commercially available multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) and biochar pyrolyzed from soybean stover at 300 °C (BC) at 0.5, 1 and 2.5% (w w-1) were used to remediate the contaminated soil in an incubation experiment. Both DTPA (bioavailable) and TCLP (leaching) extraction procedures were used to compare the metal/loid availability and leaching by the amendments in soil. The addition of BC was more effective in immobilizing mobile Pb and Cu in the soil than that in MWCNT. The BC reduced the concentrations of Pb and Cu in the soil by 17.6 and 16.2%, respectively. However, both MWCNTs and BC increased Sb bioavailability by 1.4-fold and 1.6-fold, respectively, in DTPA extraction, compared to the control. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test showed that the leachability of Pb in the soil amended with 2.5% MWCNT was 1.3-fold higher than that the unamended soil, whereas the BC at 2.5% decreased the TCLP-extractable Pb by 19.2%. Precipitation and adsorption via electrostatic and π-π electron donor-acceptor interactions were postulated to be involved in the interactions of Pb and Cu with surfaces of the BC in the amended soils, whereas ion exchange mechanisms might be involved in the immobilization of Cu in the MWCNT-amended soils. The application of BC derived from soybean stover can be a low-cost technology for simultaneously immobilizing bioavailable Pb and Cu in the shooting range soils; however, neither of amendments was effective in Sb immobilization.

Pyrolysis temperature and time of rice husk biochar potentially control ammonia emissions and Chinese cabbage yield from urea-fertilized soils.

Current agricultural practices are increasingly favoring the biochar application to sequester carbon, enhance crop growth, and mitigate various environmental pollutants resulting from nitrogen (N) loss. However, since biochar's characteristics can vary depending on pyrolysis conditions, it is essential to determine the optimal standard, as they can have different effects on soil health. In this study, we categorized rice husk biochars basis on their pH levels and investigated the role of each rice husk biochar in reducing ammonia (NH3) emissions and promoting the growth of Chinese cabbage in urea-fertilized fields. The findings of this study revealed that the variation in pyrolysis conditions of rice husk biochars and N rates affected both the NH3 emissions and crop growth. The neutral (pH 7.10) biochar exhibited effective NH3 volatilization reduction, attributed to its high surface area (6.49 m2 g-1), outperforming the acidic (pH 6.10) and basic (pH 11.01) biochars, particularly under high N rates (640 kg N ha-1). Chinese cabbage yield was highest, reaching 4.00 kg plant-1, with the basic biochar application with high N rates. Therefore, the neutral rice husk biochar effectively mitigate the NH3 emissions from urea-treated fields, while the agronomic performance of Chinese cabbage enhanced in all biochar amendments.

Transcriptional Expression of Nitrogen Metabolism Genes and Primary Metabolic Variations in Rice Affected by Different Water Status.

The era of climate change strongly requires higher efficiency of energies, such as light, water, nutrients, etc., during crop production. Rice is the world's greatest water-consuming plant, and, thus, water-saving practices such as alternative wetting and drying (AWD) are widely recommended worldwide. However the AWD still has concerns such as lower tillering, shallow rooting, and an unexpected water deficit. The AWD is a possibility to not only save water consumption but also utilize various nitrogen forms from the soil. The current study tried to investigate the transcriptional expression of genes in relation to the acquisition-transportation-assimilation process of nitrogen using qRT-PCR at the tillering and heading stages and to profile tissue-specific primary metabolites. We employed two water supply systems, continuous flooding (CF) and alternative wetting and drying (AWD), during rice growth (seeding to heading). The AWD system is effective at acquiring soil nitrate; however, nitrogen assimilation was predominant in the root during the shift from the vegetative to the reproductive stage. In addition, as a result of the greater amino acids in the shoot, the AWD was likely to rearrange amino acid pools to produce proteins in accordance with phase transition. Accordingly, it is suggested that the AWD 1) actively acquired nitrate from soil and 2) resulted in an abundance of amino acid pools, which are considered a rearrangement under limited N availability. Based on the current study, further steps are necessary to evaluate form-dependent N metabolism and root development under the AWD condition and a possible practice in the rice production system.

ABA-dependent suberization and aquaporin activity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) root under different water potentials.

Drought is one of the most stressful environments limiting crop growth and yield throughout the world. Therefore, most efforts have been made to document drought-derived genetic and physiological responses and to find better ways to improve drought tolerance. The interaction among them is unclear and/or less investigated. Therefore, the current study is to find a clue of metabolic connectivity among them in rice root experiencing different levels of drought condition. We selected 19 genes directly involved in abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism (6), suberization (6), and aquaporins (AQPs) activity (7) and analyzed the relatively quantitative gene expression using qRT-PCR from rice roots. In addition, we also analyzed proline, chlorophyll, and fatty acids and observed cross-sectional root structure (aerenchyma) and suberin lamella deposition in the endodermis. All drought conditions resulted in an obvious development of aerenchyma and two- to fourfold greater accumulation of proline. The limited water supply (-1.0 and -1.5 MPa) significantly increased gene expression (ABA metabolism, suberization, and AQPs) and developed greater layer of suberin lamella in root endodermis. In addition, the ratio of the unsaturated to the saturated fatty acids was increased, which could be considered as an adjusted cell permeability. Interestingly, these metabolic adaptations were an exception with a severe drought condition (hygroscopic coefficient, -3.1 MPa). Accordingly, we concluded that the drought-tolerant mechanism in rice roots is sophisticatedly regulated until permanent wilting point (-1.5 MPa), and ABA metabolism, suberization, and AQPs activity might be independent and/or concurrent process as a survival strategy against drought.

Low-density polyethylene microplastics alter chemical properties and microbial communities in agricultural soil.

Microplastic (MP) pollution in agricultural soils, resulting from the use of plastic mulch, compost, and sewage sludge, jeopardizes the soil microbial populations. However, the effects of MPs on soil chemical properties and microbial communities remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of different concentration levels (0, 0.1, 1, 3, 5, and 7%; w:w) of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MPs on the chemical properties and bacterial communities of agricultural soil in an incubation study. The addition of LDPE MPs did not drastically change soil pH (ranging from 8.22 to 8.42). Electrical conductivity increased significantly when the LDPE MP concentrations were between 1 and 7%, whereas the total exchangeable cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+) decreased significantly at higher LDPE MP concentrations (3-7%). The highest available phosphorus content (2.13 mg kg-1) was observed in 0.1% LDPE MP. Bacterial richness (Chao1 and Ace indices) was the lowest at 0.1% LDPE MP, and diversity indices (Shannon and Invsimpson) were higher at 0 and 1% LDPE MP than at other concentrations. The effect of LDPE MP concentrations on bacterial phyla remained unchanged, but the bacterial abundance varied. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria (25.8-33.0%) was the highest in all treatments. The abundance of Acidobacteria (15.8-17.2%) was also high, particularly in the 0, 0.1, and 1% LDPE MPs. With the increase in LDPE MP concentration, the abundance of Actinobacteria gradually increased from 7.80 to 31.8%. Our findings suggest that different MP concentration levels considerably alter soil chemical properties and microbial composition, which may potentially change the ecological functions of soil ecosystems.

UVB Irradiation-Induced Transcriptional Changes in Lignin- and Flavonoid Biosynthesis and Indole/Tryptophan-Auxin-Responsive Genes in Rice Seedlings.

Global warming accelerates the destruction of the ozone layer, increasing the amount of UVB reaching the Earth's surface, which in turn alters plant growth and development. The effects of UVB-induced alterations of plant secondary and cell wall metabolism were previously documented; however, there is little knowledge of its effects on rice seedlings during the developmental phase of leaves. In this study, we examined secondary metabolic responses to UVB stress using a transcriptomic approach, focusing on the biosynthetic pathways for lignin, flavonoid, and indole/tryptophan-auxin responses. As new leaves emerged, they were irradiated with UVB for 5 days (for 3 h/day-1). The genes encoding the enzymes related to lignin (4CL, CAD, and POD) and flavonoid biosynthesis (CHS, CHI, and FLS) were highly expressed on day 1 (younger leaves) and day 5 (older leaves) after UVB irradiation. The expression of the genes encoding the enzymes related to tryptophan biosynthesis (AS, PRT, PRAI, IGPS, and TS) increased on day 3 of UVB irradiation, and the level of tryptophan increased and showed the same temporal pattern of occurrence as the expression of the cognate gene. Interestingly, the genes encoding BBX4 and BBX11, negative regulators of UVB signaling, and SAUR27 and SAUR55, auxin response enzymes, were downregulated on day 3 of UVB irradiation. When these results are taken together, they suggest that secondary metabolic pathways in rice seedlings are influenced by the interaction between UVB irradiation and the leaf developmental stage. Thus, the strategies of protection against, adaptation to, and mitigation of UVB might be delicately regulated, and, in this context, our data provide valuable information to understand UVB-induced secondary metabolism in rice seedlings.

Hormonal Crosstalk and Root Suberization for Drought Stress Tolerance in Plants.

Higher plants in terrestrial environments face to numerous unpredictable environmental challenges, which lead to a significant impact on plant growth and development. In particular, the climate change caused by global warming is causing drought stress and rapid desertification in agricultural fields. Many scientific advances have been achieved to solve these problems for agricultural and plant ecosystems. In this review, we handled recent advances in our understanding of the physiological changes and strategies for plants undergoing drought stress. The activation of ABA synthesis and signaling pathways by drought stress regulates root development via the formation of complicated signaling networks with auxin, cytokinin, and ethylene signaling. An abundance of intrinsic soluble sugar, especially trehalose-6-phosphate, promotes the SnRK-mediated stress-resistance mechanism. Suberin deposition in the root endodermis is a physical barrier that regulates the influx/efflux of water and nutrients through complex hormonal and metabolic networks, and suberization is essential for drought-stressed plants to survive. It is highly anticipated that this work will contribute to the reproduction and productivity improvements of drought-resistant crops in the future.

Effects of limited water supply on metabolite composition in tomato fruits (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in two soils with different nutrient conditions.

Effect of water supply to metabolites in tomato fruit was compared in two soils with different nutrient conditions, i.e., either limited or excess. Two types of soil nutrient condition, type A: nutrient-limited and type B: nutrient-excess, were prepared as follows; type A is a low nutrient-containing soil without a replenishment of starved nitrogen and phosphorous, type B is a high nutrient-containing soil exceeding the recommended fertilization. Soil water was adjusted either at -30 kPa (sufficient) or -80 kPa (limited). For harvested tomato fruits, we examined primary and secondary metabolites using non-targeted mass spectrometry based metabolomics. The fruit production and leaf SPAD were greatly dependent on soil nutrient levels, by contrast, the level of lycopene remained unchanged by different levels of water and nutrient supply. The perturbation of metabolites by water supply was clear in the nutrient-excess soil. In particular, limited water supply strongly decreased primary metabolites including sugars and amino acids. We demonstrated that water stress differently shifted primary metabolites of tomato fruits in two soils with different nutrient conditions via non-targeted mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. In conclusion, we suggest that the limited water supply in soils with surplus nutrient is not a recommendable way for tomato 'cv. Super Dotaerang' production if fruit nutritional quality such as sugars and amino acids is in the consideration, although there was no disadvantage in fruit yield.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the poisonous mushroom Trichoderma cornu-damae (Hypocreaceae).

Trichoderma cornu-damae is a poisonous mushroom that contains trichothecene mycotoxins. The complete mitochondrial genome of this mushroom was determined using next-generation sequencing. This mitogenome is a circular molecule 94,608 bp in length with a GC content of 27.94% and contains 15 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes (rnl and rns), and 25 tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis placed T. cornu-damae in the family Hypocreaceae group, which includes the genus Trichoderma. The mitogenome of T. cornu-damae will contribute to our understanding of the phylogeny, taxonomy, and population genetics of this mushroom.

Monitoring of selected veterinary antibiotics in environmental compartments near a composting facility in Gangwon Province, Korea.

Many studies have been recently reported that veterinary antibiotics released into the environment have a detrimental effect on humans such as the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, only limited information is available regarding to the release of antibiotics in environmental compartments in Korea. Objectives of this study were to evaluate the concentrations of antibiotics in water, sediment, and soil adjacent to a composting facility in Korea and to determine the dilution effects of antibiotics when released into the environment. Seven antibiotics of chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, sulfathiazole, and tylosin were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry following pretreatment using solid-phase extraction to clean the samples. Results showed that the highest concentration of each antibiotic in both aqueous and solid samples was detected from a site adjacent to the composting facility. We also found that the studied water, sediment, and soil samples are contaminated by veterinary antibiotics throughout comparison with studies from other countries. However, relatively lower concentrations of each antibiotic were observed from the rice paddy soil located at the bottom of the water stream. Further research is necessary to continuously monitor the antibiotics release into ecosystems, thereby developing an environmental risk assessment.

Transcriptional Changes of Cell Wall Organization Genes and Soluble Carbohydrate Alteration during Leaf Blade Development of Rice Seedlings.

Plant cell walls have two constituent parts with different components and developmental stages. Much of the mystery concerning the mechanisms of synthesis, decomposition, modification, and so forth, has been resolved using omics and microscopic techniques. However, it still remains to be determined how cell wall development progresses over time after leaf emergence. Our focus in the present study was to expand our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms associated with cell wall synthesis in rice leaf blade during three distinct stages (sink, sink-to-source transition, and source). The RNA-seq, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and carbohydrate concentrations were evaluated using developing fifth leaf blades harvested at different time points. The results revealed that some of the essential genes for the primary cell wall (PCW) were highly upregulated in the sink-to-source transition compared to the sink stage, whereas those essential to the secondary cell wall (SCW) displayed relatively higher levels (p < 0.05) during the source stage. The concentrations of soluble carbohydrates differed via type rather than stage; we observed higher monosaccharides during the sink stage and higher di- and oligo-saccharides during the sink-to-source transition and source stages. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the transcriptional regulation of plant cell wall biosynthesis genes are both synchronistic with and independent of, and directly and indirectly governed by, the abundance of soluble carbohydrates in the developing leaf blade, and, finally, raffinose is likely to play a transport role comparable to sucrose.

Combined Effects of Nutrients × Water × Light on Metabolite Composition in Tomato Fruits (Solanum Lycopersicum L.).

Tomato cultivation in the greenhouse can be facilitated by supplemental light. We compared the combined effects of nutrients, water, and supplemental light (red) on tomato fruit quality. To do this, three different nutrient conditions were tested, i.e., (1) low N, (2) standard N, and (3) high N. Water was supplied either at -30 kPa (sufficient) or -80 kPa (limited) of soil water potential. Supplemental red LED light was turned either on or off. The metabolites from tomato fruits were profiled using non-targeted mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomic approaches. The lycopene content was highest in the condition of high N and limited water in the absence of supplemental light. In the absence of red lighting, the lycopene contents were greatly affected by nutrient and water conditions. Under the red lighting, the nutrient and water conditions did not play an important role in enhancing lycopene content. Lower N resulted in low amino acids. Low N was also likely to enhance some soluble carbohydrates. Interestingly, the combination of low N and red light led to a significant increase in sucrose, maltose, and flavonoids. In high N soil, red light increased a majority of amino acids, including aspartic acid and GABA, and sugars. However, it decreased most of the secondary metabolites such as phenylpropanoids, polyamines, and alkaloids. The water supply effect was minor. We demonstrated that different nutrient conditions of soil resulted in a difference in metabolic composition in tomato fruits and the effect of red light was variable depending on nutrient conditions.

Evaluation of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure Analysis among Germplasm of Agaricus bisporus by SSR Markers.

Agaricus bisporus is a popular edible mushroom that is cultivated worldwide. Due to its secondary homothallic nature, cultivated A. bisporus strains have low genetic diversity, and breeding novel strains is challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of globally collected A. bisporus strains using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Agaricus bisporus strains were divided based on genetic distance-based groups and model-based subpopulations. The major allele frequency (MAF), number of genotypes (NG), number of alleles (NA), observed heterozygosity (HO), expected heterozygosity (HE), and polymorphic information content (PIC) were calculated, and genetic distance, population structure, genetic differentiation, and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) were assessed. Strains were divided into two groups by distance-based analysis and into three subpopulations by model-based analysis. Strains in subpopulations POP A and POP B were included in Group I, and strains in subpopulation POP C were included in Group II. Genetic differentiation between strains was 99%. Marker AB-gSSR-1057 in Group II and subpopulation POP C was confirmed to be in HWE. These results will enhance A. bisporus breeding programs and support the protection of genetic resources.

Effects of Nutrient and Water Supply During Fruit Development on Metabolite Composition in Tomato Fruits (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Grown in Magnesium Excess Soils.

Tomato cultivation in the greenhouse or field may experience high surplus salts, including magnesium (Mg2+), which may result in differences in the growth and metabolite composition of fruits. This study hypothesized that decreasing the supply of nutrients and/or water would enhance tomato fruit quality in soils with excess Mg2+ that are frequently encountered in the field and aimed to find better supply conditions. For tomato plants cultivated in plastic pots using a plastic film house soil, the fertilizer supply varied in either the nitrogen (N) or potassium (K) concentration, which were either 0.1 (lowest) or 0.75 times (lower) than the standard fertilizer concentrations. Water was supplied either at 30 (sufficient) or 80 kPa (limited) of the soil water potential. Lycopene content on a dry-weight basis (mg/kg) was enhanced by the combination of lowest N supply and sufficient water supply. However, this enhancement was not occurred by the combination of the lowest N supply and limited water supply. Sugars and organic acids were decreased by limiting the water supply. Therefore, we carefully suggest that an adjustment of nitrogen with sufficient watering could be one of strategies to enhance fruit quality in excess Mg2+ soils.

Metabolomic response of Perilla frutescens leaves, an edible-medicinal herb, to acclimatize magnesium oversupply.

High salt accumulation, resulting from the rampant use of chemical fertilizers in greenhouse cultivation, has deleterious effects on plant growth and crop yield. Herein, we delineated the effects of magnesium (Mg) oversupply on Perilla frutescens leaves, a traditional edible and medicinal herb used in East-Asian countries. Mg oversupply resulted in significantly higher chlorophyll content coupled with lower antioxidant activities and growth, suggesting a direct effect on subtle metabolomes. The relative abundance of bioactive phytochemicals, such as triterpenoids, flavonoids, and cinnamic acids, was lower in the Mg-oversupplied plants than in the control. Correlation analysis between plant phenotypes (plant height, total fresh weight of the shoot, leaf chlorophyll content, and leaf antioxidant content) and the altered metabolomes in P. frutescens leaves suggested an acclimatization mechanism to Mg oversupply. In conclusion, P. frutescens preferentially accumulated compatible solutes, i.e., carbohydrates and amino acids, to cope with higher environmental Mg levels, instead of employing secondary and antioxidative metabolism.