Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.4
3.1
Journals
Horticulturae
Special Issues
Phytotoxicity of Heavy Metals in Horticultural Plants and Security
share announcement

Phytotoxicity of Heavy Metals in Horticultural Plants and Security

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Biotic and Abiotic Stress".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 11330

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Luisa Louro Martins

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: abiotic stress biochemistry; plant response to oxidative stress caused by potentially toxic substances; heavy metal phytotoxicity; plant contamination; food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Miguel Pedro Mourato

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: abiotic stress biochemistry; plant response to oxidative stress caused by potentially toxic substances; heavy metal phytotoxicity; plant contamination; mineral element quantification; effect of pharmaceutical products in plants; food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticulture crops are very important in human nutrition and are an important source of nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, organic acids, vitamins and mineral elements.

The current challenges, such as climate change, the growing world population and soil degradation, together with trends like the increase in urban agriculture, can lead to the use of marginal or contaminated lands and irrigation waters, to fulfil the growing needs of horticultural products.

It is thus necessary to evaluate how horticultural plants cope with contaminants like heavy metals, characterizing their acclimation mechanisms. 

This Special Issue welcomes studies regarding the effect of different heavy metals in different horticultural crops, including research in relation to uptake, accumulation and tolerance capacity, oxidative stress and antioxidative response, induced defence mechanisms, toxicity effects and food chain contamination.

Prof. Dr. Luisa Louro Martins
Prof. Dr. Miguel Pedro Mourato
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • horticultural plants
  • tolerance mechanisms
  • oxidative stress
  • antioxidative response
  • heavy metals
  • phytotoxicity
  • food security

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 3636 KiB  
Article
Changes in Metal Distribution, Vegetative Growth, Reactive Oxygen and Nutrient Absorption of Tagetes patula under Soil Cadmium Stress
by Hongzhou Shi, Yangmei Wang, Hong Chen, Fuxiang Deng, Yongan Liu and Guoxing Cao
Horticulturae 2022, 8(1), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8010069 - 12 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2085
Abstract
Phytoremediation with hyperaccumulator plants has been recognized as a potential way for the clearing of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil. In this study, hyperaccumulator Tagetes patula was treated with seven concentrations of Cd, ranging from 0 to 300 mg kg−1. The Cd enrichment [...] Read more.
Phytoremediation with hyperaccumulator plants has been recognized as a potential way for the clearing of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil. In this study, hyperaccumulator Tagetes patula was treated with seven concentrations of Cd, ranging from 0 to 300 mg kg−1. The Cd enrichment and nutrient contents in different organs during different growth phases were investigated. Under Cd concentrations ≤75 mg kg-1, the morphological growth of T. patula did not change significantly regardless of growth stage. However, when Cd concentration exceeded 150 mg kg−1, the morphological growth was remarkedly inhibited. The root/shoot ratio remained unchanged except for at 300 mg kg−1. In addition, Cd negatively influenced the flowering process at the concentration of 300 mg kg−1. Cd content increased significantly in Cd-treated plants. Nitrogen absorption was increased under Cd treatments, and phosphorus content was also increased under concentration ≤150 mg·kg−1. However, the potassium content in the flower was decreased under 300 mg kg−1. Furthermore, the contents of H2O2, O2− and malondialdehyde were increased during the seedling phase, especially when Cd concentration was ≥150 mg kg−1. In summary, T. patula showed a strong ability to tolerate Cd, and such ability might be explained by nutrient absorption and reactive oxygen clearness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotoxicity of Heavy Metals in Horticultural Plants and Security)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 5200 KiB  
Article
Vanadium Toxicity Induced Changes in Growth, Antioxidant Profiling, and Vanadium Uptake in Pepper (Capsicum annum L.) Seedlings
by Muhammad Ahsan Altaf, Huangying Shu, Yuanyuan Hao, Yan Zhou, Muhammad Ali Mumtaz and Zhiwei Wang
Horticulturae 2022, 8(1), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8010028 - 28 Dec 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2411
Abstract
Heavy metal contamination is one of the current serious environmental and agricultural soil issues, and it is mainly due to anthropogenic activities. Vanadium (V) is found in low concentrations in a wide range of plants and is widely distributed in soils. The current [...] Read more.
Heavy metal contamination is one of the current serious environmental and agricultural soil issues, and it is mainly due to anthropogenic activities. Vanadium (V) is found in low concentrations in a wide range of plants and is widely distributed in soils. The current study aimed to determine how pepper seedlings responded to various V concentrations, as well as the detrimental effects of V on growth, root morphological traits, photosynthetic performance, reactive oxygen species (ROS), osmolytes production, antioxidant enzyme activities, and V uptake. Pepper seedlings (5 weeks old) were grown in hydroponic culture with six V levels (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg L−1 NH4VO3). After two weeks of V treatment, low level of V (10, 20 mg L−1) enhanced the growth status, conversely higher V (30, 40, and 50 mg L−1) level reduced the growth. The leaf gas exchange elements, pigments molecules, and root growth characteristics are also affected by higher V concentrations. Moreover, V uptake was higher in roots than in the shoot of pepper seedlings. Similarly, osmolytes content, ROS production, and antioxidant enzymes activities were significantly improved under V stress. Concluding, lower V (10, 20 mg L−1) concentration positively affected pepper growth, and higher V (30, 40, and 50 mg L−1) concentration had a detrimental effect on pepper physiological and biochemical mechanisms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotoxicity of Heavy Metals in Horticultural Plants and Security)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2230 KiB  
Article
Genotoxicity and Cytotoxicity Induced in Zygophyllum fabago by Low Pb Doses Depends on the Population’s Redox Plasticity
by Antonio López-Orenes, Conceição Santos, Maria Celeste Dias, Helena Oliveira, María Á. Ferrer, Antonio A. Calderón and Sónia Silva
Horticulturae 2021, 7(11), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7110455 - 03 Nov 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1505
Abstract
Lead (Pb) soil contamination remains a major ecological challenge. Zygophyllum fabago is a candidate for the Pb phytostabilisation of mining tailings; nevertheless, the cytogenotoxic effects of low doses of Pb on this species are still unknown. Therefore, Z. fabago seeds collected from non-mining [...] Read more.
Lead (Pb) soil contamination remains a major ecological challenge. Zygophyllum fabago is a candidate for the Pb phytostabilisation of mining tailings; nevertheless, the cytogenotoxic effects of low doses of Pb on this species are still unknown. Therefore, Z. fabago seeds collected from non-mining (NM) and mining (M) areas were exposed to 0, 5 and 20 µM Pb for four weeks, after which seedling growth, Pb cytogenotoxic effects and redox status were analyzed. The data revealed that Pb did not affect seedling growth in M populations, in contrast to the NM population. Cell cycle progression delay/arrest was detected in both NM and M seedlings, mostly in the roots. DNA damage (DNAd) was induced by Pb, particularly in NM seedlings. In contrast, M populations, which showed a higher Pb content, exhibited lower levels of DNAd and protein oxidation, together with higher levels of antioxidants. Upon Pb exposure, reduced glutathione (GSH) and non-protein thiols were upregulated in shoots and were unaffected/decreased in roots from the NM population, whereas M populations maintained higher levels of flavanols and hydroxycinnamic acids in shoots and triggered GSH in roots and shoots. These differential organ-specific mechanisms seem to be a competitive strategy that allows M populations to overcome Pb toxicity, contrarily to NM, thus stressing the importance of seed provenance in phytostabilisation programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotoxicity of Heavy Metals in Horticultural Plants and Security)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 1760 KiB  
Article
The Combined Effect of Pseudomonas stutzeri and Biochar on the Growth Dynamics and Tolerance of Lettuce Plants (Lactuca sativa) to Cadmium Stress
by Mohssen Elbagory, Diaa K. Farrag, Ahmed M. Hashim and Alaa El-Dein Omara
Horticulturae 2021, 7(11), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7110430 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1912
Abstract
Agricultural activities lead to the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in the soil. It is necessary to identify effective and economical ways to reduce the soil Cd bioavailability. To achieve this, three bacterial strains, Pseudomonas stutzeri, P. koreensis, and P. fluorescens, [...] Read more.
Agricultural activities lead to the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in the soil. It is necessary to identify effective and economical ways to reduce the soil Cd bioavailability. To achieve this, three bacterial strains, Pseudomonas stutzeri, P. koreensis, and P. fluorescens, were tested for tolerance and biosorption of different concentrations of Cd (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 mg L−1). During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, a pot experiment was conducted using four different soil amendments (control, biochar, P. stutzeri, and a combination) under four levels of Cd (0, 40, 80, and 120 mg kg−1) and assessing the effect on growth parameters, physiological modifications, antioxidant enzymes, and Cd accumulation in lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa cv. Balady). In vitro, the results showed that P. stutzeri was the most tolerant of Cd. Our findings in pot trials showed that T4 (biochar + P. stutzeri) was a more efficient treatment in terms of the growth parameters, with 452.00 g plant−1 was recorded for fresh weight, 40.10 g plant−1 for dry weight, 18.89 cm plant−1 for plant height, 6.03 cm2 for leaf area, and 20.48 for the number of leaves plant−1, while in terms of physiological characteristics, we recorded 1.29 mg g−1 FW, 0.35 μg g−1 FW, and 3.69 μg g−1 FW for total chlorophyll, carotenoids, and total soluble sugar, respectively; this was also reflected in the number of antioxidant enzymes and intensity of soil biological activities in soil treated with 120 mg kg−1 Cd compared with the control and other treatments in the first season. A similar trend was observed in the second season. Additionally, significantly lower Cd was observed in both the root (67%) and shoots (78%). Therefore, a combined application of biochar and P. stutzeri could be used as an alternative to mitigate Cd toxicity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotoxicity of Heavy Metals in Horticultural Plants and Security)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 2598 KiB  
Article
Nodulated White Lupin Plants Growing in Contaminated Soils Accumulate Unusually High Mercury Concentrations in Their Nodules, Roots and Especially Cluster Roots
by Miguel A. Quiñones, Susana Fajardo, Mercedes Fernández-Pascual, M. Mercedes Lucas and José J. Pueyo
Horticulturae 2021, 7(9), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7090302 - 09 Sep 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2398
Abstract
Two white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) cultivars were tested for their capacity to accumulate mercury when grown in Hg-contaminated soils. Plants inoculated with a Bradyrhizobium canariense Hg-tolerant strain or non-inoculated were grown in two highly Hg-contaminated soils. All plants were nodulated and [...] Read more.
Two white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) cultivars were tested for their capacity to accumulate mercury when grown in Hg-contaminated soils. Plants inoculated with a Bradyrhizobium canariense Hg-tolerant strain or non-inoculated were grown in two highly Hg-contaminated soils. All plants were nodulated and presented a large number of cluster roots. They accumulated up to 600 μg Hg g−1 DW in nodules, 1400 μg Hg g−1 DW in roots and 2550 μg Hg g−1 DW in cluster roots. Soil, and not cultivar or inoculation, was accountable for statistically significant differences. No Hg translocation to leaves or seeds took place. Inoculated L. albus cv. G1 plants were grown hydroponically under cluster root-promoting conditions in the presence of Hg. They accumulated about 500 μg Hg g−1 DW in nodules and roots and up to 1300 μg Hg g−1 DW in cluster roots. No translocation to the aerial parts occurred. Bioaccumulation factors were also extremely high, especially in soils and particularly in cluster roots. To our knowledge, Hg accumulation in cluster roots has not been reported to date. Our results suggest that inoculated white lupin might represent a powerful phytoremediation tool through rhizosequestration of Hg in contaminated soils. Potential uptake and immobilization mechanisms are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotoxicity of Heavy Metals in Horticultural Plants and Security)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop