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Salinity mitigates cadmium-induced phytotoxicity in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) by limiting the Cd uptake and improved responses to oxidative stress: implications for phytoremediation

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Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) contamination and soil salinity are the main environmental issues reducing crop productivity. This study aimed to examine the combined effects of salinity (NaCl) and Cd on the physiological and biochemical attributes of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). For this purpose, 30-day-old plants of quinoa genotype “Puno” were transplanted in Hoagland's nutrient solution containing diverse concentrations of Cd: 0, 50, 100, 200 µM Cd, and salinity: 0, 150, and 300 mM NaCl. Results demonstrated that plant growth, stomatal conductance, and pigment contents were significantly lower at all Cd concentrations than the control plants. Quinoa plants exhibited improved growth and tolerance against Cd when grown at a lower level of salinity (150 mM NaCl) combined with Cd. In contrast, the elevated concentration of salinity (300 mM NaCl) combined with Cd reduced shoot and root growth of experimental plants more than 50%. Combined application of salinity and Cd increased Na (25-fold), while lessened the Cd (twofold) and K (1.5-fold) uptake. A blend of high concentrations of Na and Cd caused overproduction of H2O2 (eightfold higher than control) contents and triggered lipid peroxidation. The activities of antioxidant enzymes: ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were 13, 12, 7 and ninefold higher than control to mitigate the oxidative stress. Due to restricted root to shoot translocation, and greater tolerance potential against Cd, the quinoa genotype, Puno, is suitable for phytostabilization of Cd in saline soils.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2021/407), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the support. The authors are equally indebted to COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, for providing research facilities during the research work.

Funding

The authors are grateful to the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP-2021/407), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari, 61100, Pakistan

    Noman Abdal, Ghulam Abbas & Ghulam Mustafa Shah

  2. Centre for Climate Research and Development (CCRD), COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Saeed Ahmad Asad

  3. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, P.O. Box 2455, 11451, Saudi Arabia

    Ayman A. Ghfar

  4. Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Rizwan & Shafaqat Ali

  5. Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan

    Shafaqat Ali

  6. Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, 22362, Lund, Sweden

    Muhammad Shahbaz

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  1. Noman Abdal
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  2. Ghulam Abbas
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  3. Saeed Ahmad Asad
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  5. Ghulam Mustafa Shah
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  8. Muhammad Shahbaz
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Contributions

GA, SA and GMS conceived the research idea. GA and SAA analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. GA and NA accomplished the experimentation and plant analyses. AAG, MR, SA and MS reviewed and edited the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ghulam Abbas or Shafaqat Ali.

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Abdal, N., Abbas, G., Asad, S.A. et al. Salinity mitigates cadmium-induced phytotoxicity in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) by limiting the Cd uptake and improved responses to oxidative stress: implications for phytoremediation. Environ Geochem Health 45, 171–185 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01082-y

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