Physiological and Biochemical Changes in Moth Bean (Vigna aconitifolia L.) under Cadmium Stress

Abstract

Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia L.), a drought resistant legume, possesses high nutritional value. Cadmium (Cd) is a nonessential and the most toxic heavy metal in plants. The present study was to test the hypothesis of whether moth bean being a drought resistant legume can withstand the cadmium stress. Ten-day-old moth bean seedlings were subjected to cadmium stress and investigated for a period of 15 days every 3-day intervals. Cadmium quantification in moth bean tissues suggests root accumulation and translocation to aerial parts in a concentration dependent manner. Results of physiological and biochemical studies revealed that cadmium has affected the growth parameters like shoot and root lengths and tissue dry weights. Significant alternations in relative water content and cell membrane stability were observed in stressed seedlings. Similarly superoxide radical, lipoxygenase activity, membrane lipid peroxidation products, protein carbonyls, and reduced glutathione and nonprotein thiols were found increased in stressed seedlings compared to controls. However, hydrogen peroxide and ascorbic acid levels were not altered significantly in both stressed and control seedlings. Cadmium translocation ability from roots to aerial parts and elevated levels of nonenzymatic antioxidants in stressed seedlings suggest the cadmium stress withstanding ability of moth bean.

Growing, physiological responses and Cd uptake of Corn (Zea mays L.) under different Cd supply

“…Heavy metals often inhibit metabolic processes by inhibiting the action of enzymes. Decreased chlorophyll contents associated with heavy metal stress may be the result of the inhibition of enzymes responsible for chlorophyll biosynthesis [6]. In our studies, the contents of pigment contents (including carotenoid) in the leaves of corn all decreased slowly with increasing external Cd supply levels.…”

“…It may also travel across the cell and ultimately enter the translocation stream. Generally, toxic metals cause enzyme inactivation and damage to cells by acting as antimetabolites or forming precipitates with essential metabolites [1,5,6,15]. Although roots absorb an appreciable fraction of Cd…”

“…Accumulation of free proline in response to heavy metal exposure seems to be widespread among plants. Proline increases the stress tolerance of plants through mechanisms such as osmoregulation, protection of enzymes against denaturing, and stabilization of protein synthesis [6].…”

“…Cd contamination of agricultural soil has been becoming a serious environmental concern. Cadmium is a non-essential metal for crops, can be extremely toxic and characteristically causing growth inhibition, chlorophyll breakdown, leaf chlorosis and browning of root, Excessive Cd uptake by plants effected essential physiological process, induced oxidating stress and caused damage in plants by increasing the production of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation [2][3][4][5][6]. Cd ecotoxicity induced low biomass of crops compensated by very high metal concentrations in the shoots and roots [7][8][9][10].…”

Comparative Study of Growth, Cadmium Accumulation and Tolerance of Three Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Cultivars

“…In plant tissues, the transportation of water is reduced by Cd stress, hence, decreased the transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, WC and resulted in water stress [39,44]. Different researchers have been demonstrated significant changes in RWC under Cd concentrations in various plant cultivars, such as moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia L.) [47], bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) [48] and Lupinus albus [49].…”