Matricaria chamomilla is not a hyperaccumulator, but tolerant to cadmium stress

Abstract

The influence of low (3 lM) and high (60 and 120 lM) cadmium (Cd) concentrations were studied on selected aspects of metabolism in 4-week-old chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) plants. After 10 days' exposure, dry mass accumulation and nitrogen content were not significantly altered under any of the levels of Cd. However, there was a significant decline in chlorophyll and water content in the leaves. Among coumarin-related compounds, herniarin was not affected by Cd, while its precursors (Z)-and (E)-2-b-D-glucopyranosyloxy-4-methoxycinnamic acids (GMCAs) increased significantly at all the levels of Cd tested. Cd did not have any effect on umbelliferone, a stress metabolite of chamomile. Lipid peroxidation was also not affected by even 120 lM Cd. Cd accumulation was approximately seven-(60 lM Cd treatment) to eleven-(120 lM Cd treatment) fold higher in the roots than that in the leaves. At high concentrations, it stimulated potassium leakage from the roots, while at the lowest concentration it could stimulate potassium uptake. The results supported the hypothesis that metabolism was altered only slightly under high Cd stress, indicating that chamomile is tolerant to this metal. Preferential Cd accumulation in the roots indicated that chamomile could not be classified as a hyperaccumulator and, therefore, it is unsuitable for phytoremediation.

Nickel Uptake and its Effect on Some Nutrient Levels, Amino Acid Contents and Oxidative Status in Matricaria chamomilla Plants

“…As we observed, potassium content decreased in both the leaf rosettes and roots of chamomile (Tables 1 and 2). This indicates K + release into the culture medium as we previously observed in Cd-and Cu-treated chamomile plants (Kováčik et al 2006. Since MDA accumulation, a commonly used marker of membrane damage level, was not influenced by Ni excess (Fig.…”

“…Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is a widely used medicinal plant, tolerant to heavy metals such as cadmium (Kováčik et al 2006). This tolerance suggests potential health risk when containing elevated levels of heavy metals.…”

Principles of classification of medicinal plants as hyperaccumulators or excluders

“…This (almost 30 years old) definition was used by Kováčik et al (2006) to characterize chamomile not only as species tolerant to Cd, but even as excluder of Cd. In the course of hyperaccumulation the following processes are usually observed: (a) higher metal uptake connected with high effectiveness of metal translocation from the root into the shoot, (b) preference of biomass allocation into the root where also high metal concentration occurs (c) development of larger root system in comparison with shoot biomass, which is favourable for total ion uptake by the plant (Cosio 2004 (Zhao et al 2003;Wei and Chen 2006;Anderson 2007).…”

“…Matricaria recutita L., Hypericum perforatum L.) can accumulate relatively high concentration of toxic metals in their shoots. Kováčik et al (2006) suggested that chamomile should not be classified as a hyperaccumulator of Cd, but is rather considered as a facultative metallophyte or metal excluder. However, in other studies (cf.…”

Enhancing Copper and Lead Bioaccumulation in Rapeseed by Adding Hemp Shives as Soil Natural Amendments

“…High concentrations of copper in the growth medium affect the different parameters of plant metabolism including dry biomass production, water content, macro and micro-nutrients balance (Jankaite, Vasarevičius 2005). They also inhibit root growth and block photosynthetic electron transport, thus reducing the content of chlorophyll pigments (Bernal et al 2007;Kovacik et al 2006). The inhibition of plant growth in the presence of this metal ion may be the result of degradation of chlorophyll pigments during the photosynthesis process (Upadhyay, Panda 2009).…”