Effect of Cadmium Toxicity on Growth, Oxidative Damage, Antioxidant Defense System and Cadmium Accumulation in Two Sorghum Cultivars
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Date
2020
Authors
Hassan, Muhammad Jawad
Raza, Muhammad Ali
Rehman, Sana Ur
Ansar, Muhammad
Gitari, Harun I.
Khan, Imran
Wajid, Muhammad
Ahmed, Mukhtar
Shah, Ghulam Abbas
Peng, Yan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI
Abstract
Heavy metal stress is a leading environmental issue reducing crop growth and
productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid agro-ecological zones. Cadmium (Cd), a non-redox
heavy metal, can indirectly increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inducing cell
death. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different concentrations of Cd
(0, 5, 25, 50, 100 µM) on physiological and biochemical parameters in two sorghum (Sorghum bicolor
L.) cultivars: JS-2002 and Chakwal Sorghum. The results showed that various concentrations of Cd
significantly increased the Cd uptake in both cultivars; however, the uptake was higher in JS-2002
compared to Chakwal Sorghum in leaf, stem and root. Regardless of the cultivars, there was a higher
accumulation of the Cd in roots than in shoots. The Cd stress significantly reduced the growth and
increased the electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration and malondialdehyde
(MDA) content in both cultivars, but the Chakwal Sorghum showed more pronounced oxidative
damage than the JS-2002, as reflected by higher H2O2, MDA and EL. Moreover, Cd stress, particularly 50
µM and 100 µM, decreased the activity of different antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide
dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). However, the JS-2002 exhibited higher SOD,
POD and CAT activities than the Chakwal Sorghum under different Cd-levels. These findings revealed
that JS-2002 had a stronger Cd enrichment capacity and also exhibited a better tolerance to Cd stress due
to its efficient antioxidant defense system than Chakwal Sorghum. The present study provides the
available information about Cd enrichment and tolerance in S. bicolor, which is used as an important
agricultural crop for livestock feed in arid and semi-arid regions.
Description
An Article Published in Plants
Keywords
Cadmium, Heavy metal, Food security, Oxidative damage, Antioxidants
Citation
Jawad Hassan, M., Ali Raza, M., Ur Rehman, S., Ansar, M., Gitari, H., Khan, I., ... & Li, Z. (2020). Effect of Cadmium Toxicity on Growth, Oxidative Damage, Antioxidant Defense System and Cadmium Accumulation in Two Sorghum Cultivars. Plants, 9(11), 1575.