Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Volume 298, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118829
Keywords
Arsenic; Nigella sativa; ROS; MDA; Antioxidants
Categories
Funding
- COMSATS University, Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Pakistan
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Arsenic has varying degrees of toxicity in plants, with As(0) being the least toxic but can be readily oxidized into more toxic forms under certain conditions. The experiment evaluated the effects of As(0) on Nigella sativa, showing that the plant's biomass and yield were generally unaffected by As levels except at the highest concentration. Despite increased antioxidant activities and arsenic accumulation in plant organs, N. sativa displayed tolerance to moderate As stress, suggesting it can be grown in moderately contaminated soils without significant economic risks or food chain contamination.
Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid that exhibits a varying degree of toxicity in plants depending upon the redox status of its species. Elemental arsenic [As(0)] is the least toxic of all the As species, however, under conducive environmental conditions, it can be readily oxidized into toxic forms. The present experiment was designed to evaluate the deleterious effects of As when applied in As(0) form on the morpho-physiological attributes of Kalongi (Nigella sativa). Seeds of N. sativa were sown in soil contaminated with various levels of As (0, 1.875, 3.75, 7.5, 15.0, and 30.0 mg nA(0) kg(-1) soil). The results indicated that plant biomass and grain yield of N. sativa were not much affected by various levels of As except at 30 mg nA(0) kg(-1) soil. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, APX, POX, and CAT), phenolic contents, and carotenoids were enhanced in response to the overproduction of H2O2, subsequently inhibiting lipid peroxidation. Arsenic accumulation in different plant organs increased with increasing soil As levels in the given trend root > shoot > leaf > seedpod > seed. Arsenic uptake affected the uptake of other elements (P, Fe, Zn, K, Na, Ca). Adaptive changes in total chlorophyll contents, MDA contents, and antioxidant enzymatic defense mechanism in response to As stress suggest that the N. sativa is tolerant to moderate As stress. Therefore, this crop can be cultivated on moderately As-contaminated soils without any significant risks of economic losses and food chain contamination.
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