Effect of Heavy Metals in Plants of the Genus Brassica

Abstract

Several species from the Brassica genus are very important agricultural crops in different parts of the world and are also known to be heavy metal accumulators. There have been a large number of studies regarding the tolerance, uptake and defense mechanism in several of these species, notably Brassica juncea and B. napus, against the stress induced by heavy metals. Numerous studies have also been published about the capacity of these species to be used for phytoremediation purposes but with mixed results. This review will focus on the latest developments in the study of the uptake capacity, oxidative damage and biochemical and physiological tolerance and defense mechanisms to heavy metal toxicity on six economically important species: B. juncea, B. napus, B. oleracea, B. carinata, B. rapa and B. nigra.

Comparative biochemical profile of protein-rich products obtained from industrial rapeseed meal

“…Plants from Brassica genus including B. napus are well known for their high capacity to accumulate heavy metals available in soil (Mourato et al, 2015). Wang et al (2005) observed accumulation of Pb in both rapeseeds and hull.…”

“…Accumulation of heavy metals by Brassica plants is highly variable and is dependent on the utilization of contaminated sewage water for irrigation and the extent of soil contamination (Kaur and Sharma, 2014). In addition, Brassica cultivars and hybrids demonstrated high fluctuation in their capacities to uptake heavy metals (Mourato et al, 2015). Therefore, concentration of these elements in products derived from rapeseed/canola, if present at all, is not consistent and should be evaluated prior to a food application.…”

Evaluation of the Raphanus Sativus Varieties Response to the Application of Dinitrophenol in Terms of Oxidative Stress Enzymes and DNA Amplification

“…In what concerns these ones elimination and the reestablish of the cellular homeostasis, the vegetable organisms developed in time different defense mechanisms [15] which contain the activating both of the enzymatic antioxidant systems (the superoxidedismutase, the catalase, the peroxidase, the ascorbatoxidase, the glutation-reductase and the polyphenoloxidase), as of the non-enzymatic systems (the ascorbic acid, the tocoferols, the carotenes, the polyphenols) [16].…”

Lead Phytotoxicity Induced Changes in Biochemical Markers in Germination and Seedlings in Durum Wheat <i>Triticum durum</i> Desf. Cv.Vitron and Gta

“…Furthermore, lower concentrations seem, on the contrary to increase total protein content (Mishra et al, 2006). This protein accumulation may be the result of the synthesis by the plant defense system against this metal, or in the sequestration of metal by glutathione to neutralize the high concentrations of Pb (Rauser, 1999;Mourato et al, 2015).…”