Abstract
Abstract Background Environment contamination with heavy metals is a major problem both to the environment and human health. Aims The aim of this work is to evaluate the physiological, nutritional, and biochemical responses of safflower plants ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) grown under different zinc concentrations at vegetative stage. Methods The effect of zinc on safflower plants was studied through the evaluation of growth parameters, colorimetric assay of phenolic compounds, and antioxidant enzymes activities. Results Zinc inhibited shoot and root growth and resulted in leaf chlorosis at 75, 225, and 1000 µM zinc concentrations. At higher concentrations, Zn also reduced photosynthetic parameters except the internal CO 2 concentration that was higher at these levels. Zinc reduced potassium content of the shoots at 75 µM of zinc. The presence of Zn at 1000 µM concentration reduced the iron content and led to the accumulation of the copper content in the shoots. In roots, iron and copper contents were reduced from 15 µM Zn. In the case of copper, this content was canceled out at 225 and 1000 µM of zinc. Lipid peroxidation (evaluated as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances content) increased with zinc treatment. Safflower plants generally responded to this oxidative stress by enhancing the antioxidant enzymes activities, namely, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase. There was no increase in superoxide dismutase activity in shoots and roots, except at the highest zinc concentration in the roots. Total soluble sugars (TSS) and starch contents increased, whereas proline content decreased in shoots. In roots, TSS was not altered, whereas starch was decreased, and proline content was increased. There were no changes in the protein content in both organs under different Zn treatments. There was a gradual increase in the total polyphenols in shoots with increasing zinc concentration; however, no changes were observed in the roots. Flavonoids decreased in roots at 225 and 1000 µM Zn. Total antioxidant activity increased in shoots but it decreased in roots with increasing zinc concentration. The inverse trend was observed for the DPPH and ABTS tests. Conclusions Our results suggest that the decline in safflower plant growth under high zinc concentrations is related to altered photosynthetic activity and antioxidant response to oxidative stress.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc at 75, 225 and 1000 µM inhibited shoot and root growth and caused leaf chlorosis.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.
Carthamus tinctoriust0 - Treatment
- Zince0
- Outcome
- shoot and root growthe0
- Direction
- inhibitede0
- Value
- 75, 225, and 1000 µM zinc concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zinc inhibited shoot and root growth and resulted in leaf chlorosis at 75, 225, and 1000 µM zinc concentrations”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc at 75, 225 and 1000 µM caused leaf chlorosis.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Treatment
- Zince0
- Outcome
- leaf chlorosise0
- Qualifier
- 75, 225, and 1000 µM zinc concentrationse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zinc inhibited shoot and root growth and resulted in leaf chlorosis at 75, 225, and 1000 µM zinc concentrations”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher zinc concentrations reduced photosynthetic parameters other than internal CO2 concentration.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Treatment
- Zne0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic parameterse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- higher concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“At higher concentrations, Zn also reduced photosynthetic parameters except the internal CO 2 concentration that was higher at these levels”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Internal CO2 concentration was higher at higher zinc concentrations.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Treatment
- Zne0
- Outcome
- internal CO 2 concentratione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- higher concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“At higher concentrations, Zn also reduced photosynthetic parameters except the internal CO 2 concentration that was higher at these levels”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc at 75 µM reduced shoot potassium content.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Treatment
- 75 µM of zince0
- Outcome
- potassium content of the shootse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zinc reduced potassium content of the shoots at 75 µM of zinc”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc at 1000 µM reduced shoot iron content.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Treatment
- Zn at 1000 µM concentratione0
- Outcome
- iron contente0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The presence of Zn at 1000 µM concentration reduced the iron content and led to the accumulation of the copper content in the shoots”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc at 1000 µM increased shoot copper content.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Treatment
- Zn at 1000 µM concentratione0
- Outcome
- copper content in the shootse0
- Direction
- accumulatione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The presence of Zn at 1000 µM concentration reduced the iron content and led to the accumulation of the copper content in the shoots”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Root iron and copper contents declined from 15 µM Zn; copper was absent at 225 and 1000 µM.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- rootse0
- Treatment
- 15 µM Zne0
- Outcome
- iron and copper contentse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- canceled out at 225 and 1000 µM of zince0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In roots, iron and copper contents were reduced from 15 µM Zn. In the case of copper, this content was canceled out at 225 and 1000 µM of zinc”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc treatment increased lipid peroxidation.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Treatment
- zinc treatmente0
- Outcome
- Lipid peroxidatione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lipid peroxidation (evaluated as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances content) increased with zinc treatment”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc stress enhanced catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase activities.
- Taxon
- Safflower plantsCarthamus tinctoriuse0
- Treatment
- oxidative stresse0
- Gene
- catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guaiacol peroxidasee0
- Outcome
- antioxidant enzymes activitiese0
- Direction
- enhancinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Safflower plants generally responded to this oxidative stress by enhancing the antioxidant enzymes activities, namely, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase”
Claim · model-written summary
Superoxide dismutase activity did not increase except at the highest zinc concentration in roots.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- shoots and rootse0
- Treatment
- zinct1
- Outcome
- superoxide dismutase activitye0
- Direction
- no increasee0
- Qualifier
- except at the highest zinc concentration in the rootse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There was no increase in superoxide dismutase activity in shoots and roots, except at the highest zinc concentration in the roots”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
t1“zinc at vegetative stage”
Claim · model-written summary
Shoot total soluble sugars and starch increased under zinc treatment.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Treatment
- zinct1
- Outcome
- Total soluble sugars (TSS) and starch contentse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total soluble sugars (TSS) and starch contents increased, whereas proline content decreased in shoots”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
t1“zinc at vegetative stage”
Claim · model-written summary
Shoot proline content decreased under zinc treatment.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Treatment
- zinct1
- Outcome
- proline contente0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total soluble sugars (TSS) and starch contents increased, whereas proline content decreased in shoots”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
t1“zinc at vegetative stage”
Claim · model-written summary
Root soluble sugars were unchanged under zinc treatment.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- rootse0
- Treatment
- zinct1
- Outcome
- TSSe0
- Direction
- not alterede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In roots, TSS was not altered, whereas starch was decreased, and proline content was increased”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
t1“zinc at vegetative stage”
Claim · model-written summary
Root starch decreased under zinc treatment.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- rootse0
- Treatment
- zinct1
- Outcome
- starche0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In roots, TSS was not altered, whereas starch was decreased, and proline content was increased”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
t1“zinc at vegetative stage”
Claim · model-written summary
Root proline content increased under zinc treatment.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- rootse0
- Treatment
- zinct1
- Outcome
- proline contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In roots, TSS was not altered, whereas starch was decreased, and proline content was increased”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
t1“zinc at vegetative stage”
Claim · model-written summary
Protein content did not change in shoots or roots under zinc treatments.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- both organse0
- Treatment
- different Zn treatmentse0
- Outcome
- protein contente0
- Direction
- no changese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There were no changes in the protein content in both organs under different Zn treatments”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Shoot polyphenols increased with zinc concentration while root polyphenols did not change.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Treatment
- increasing zinc concentratione0
- Outcome
- total polyphenols in shootse0
- Direction
- gradual increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There was a gradual increase in the total polyphenols in shoots with increasing zinc concentration; however, no changes were observed in the roots”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Root flavonoids decreased at 225 and 1000 µM Zn.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- rootse0
- Treatment
- 225 and 1000 µM Zne0
- Outcome
- Flavonoidse0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Flavonoids decreased in roots at 225 and 1000 µM Zn”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
Claim · model-written summary
Total antioxidant activity rose in shoots and fell in roots as zinc concentration increased; DPPH and ABTS had the inverse trend.
- Taxon
- Carthamus tinctorius L.Carthamus tinctoriust0
- Organ / stage
- shootse0
- Outcome
- Total antioxidant activitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- The inverse trend was observed for the DPPH and ABTS testse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Total antioxidant activity increased in shoots but it decreased in roots with increasing zinc concentration. The inverse trend was observed for the DPPH and ABTS tests”
t0“Carthamus tinctorius L.”
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