We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Alleviation of cadmium toxicity in Zea mays L. through up-regulation of growth, antioxidant defense system and organic osmolytes under calcium supplementation.
- Authors
Kaleem, Muhammad; Shabir, Farah; Hussain, Iqbal; Hameed, Mansoor; Ahmad, Muhammad Sajid Aqeel; Mehmood, Anam; Ashfaq, Waseem; Riaz, Saima; Afzaal, Zarbakht; Maqsood, Muhammad Faisal; Iqbal, Ummar; Shah, Syed Mohsan Raza; Irshad, Muhammad
- Abstract
Calcium (Ca) is a macronutrient and works as a modulator to mitigate oxidative stress induced by heavy metals. In this study, we investigated the role of Ca to ameliorate the Cd toxicity in Zea mays L. by modulating the growth, physio-biochemical traits, and cellular antioxidant defense system. Maize genotype Sahiwal-2002 was grown under a controlled glasshouse environment with a day/night temperature of 24 ± 4°C/14 ± 2°C in a complete randomized design with three replications and two Cd levels as (0 and 150 μM) and six regimes of Ca (0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 mM). Maize seedlings exposed to Cd at 150 μM concentration showed a notable decrease in growth, biomass, anthocyanins, chlorophylls, and antioxidant enzymes activities. A higher level of Cd (150 μM) also caused an upsurge in oxidative damage observed as higher electrolyte leakage (increased membrane permeability), H2O2 production, and MDA accumulation. Supplementation of Ca notably improved growth traits, photosynthetic pigments, cellular antioxidants (APX, POD, and ascorbic acid), anthocyanins, and levels of osmolytes. The significant improvement in the osmolytes (proteins and amino acids), and enzymatic antioxidative defense system enhanced the membrane stability and mitigated the damaging effects of Cd. The present results concluded that exogenously applied Ca potentially improve growth by regulating antioxidants and enabling maize plants to withstand the Cd toxicity.
- Subjects
CORN; CORN growth; PHOTOSYNTHETIC pigments; CADMIUM; DIETARY supplements; CADMIUM poisoning; CALCIUM
- Publication
PLoS ONE, 2022, Vol 17, Issue 6, p1
- ISSN
1932-6203
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0269162