Abstract
The impact of trace metal elements (TMEs) on plants is one current pollution problem, the severity of which is increasing with industrial development, population growth and inappropriate agricultural practices. The latter can have irreversible effects on ecosystems, including species extinction, trophic chain contamination and altered human health, particularly in the case of consumed plants such as zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). This study aims to investigate the effects of nickel on various physiological and biochemical parameters of zucchini growth, with a particular focus on how this toxic metal impacts the quality of fruit that is consumed by humans. To achieve this, plants aged 45 days were grown for one month on solid media loaded with different concentrations of Ni (0, 100, 300 and 500 µM). The results showed that exposure of plants to Ni resulted in significantly altered growth and higher accumulation of Ni in the shoots (1314 µg·g−1 DW) than in roots and fruits. Concerning non-enzymatic antioxidants, the results showed that Ni toxicity significantly increased total polyphenols, especially in shoots at 300 µM Ni, while flavonoid content decreased in the roots and shoots in response to Ni treatment. Our results also show that nickel tolerance in C. pepo is ensured by a combination of several mechanisms such as an increase in the content of proline. This species can survive and tolerate, to different degrees, toxic cations at concentrations up to 500 µM but with visible symptoms of toxicity such as chlorosis of the leaves. Indeed, based on thresholds of hyperaccumulation, we can qualify Cucurbita pepo as a hyperaccumulator species of nickel.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Exposure of zucchini plants to Ni significantly altered growth.
- Taxon
- Cucurbita pepo L.
Cucurbita pepot0 - Treatment
- Nie1
- Outcome
- growthe1
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucurbita pepo L.”
e1“exposure of plants to Ni resulted in significantly altered growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Ni accumulation was higher in the shoots (1314 µg g-1 DW) than in roots and fruits.
- Taxon
- Cucurbita pepo L.Cucurbita pepot0
- Organ / stage
- shootse1
- Outcome
- accumulation of Ni in the shootse1
- Direction
- highere1
- Value
- 1314 µg·g−1 DWe1
- Comparator
- roots and fruitse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucurbita pepo L.”
e1“higher accumulation of Ni in the shoots (1314 µg·g−1 DW) than in roots and fruits”
Claim · model-written summary
Ni toxicity significantly increased total polyphenols, especially in shoots at 300 µM Ni.
- Taxon
- Cucurbita pepo L.Cucurbita pepot0
- Organ / stage
- shootse1
- Treatment
- Ni toxicitye1
- Outcome
- total polyphenolse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Qualifier
- 300 µM Nie1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucurbita pepo L.”
e1“Ni toxicity significantly increased total polyphenols, especially in shoots at 300 µM Ni”
Claim · model-written summary
Flavonoid content decreased in the roots and shoots in response to Ni treatment.
- Taxon
- Cucurbita pepo L.Cucurbita pepot0
- Organ / stage
- roots and shootse1
- Treatment
- Ni treatmente1
- Outcome
- flavonoid contente1
- Direction
- decreasede1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucurbita pepo L.”
e1“flavonoid content decreased in the roots and shoots in response to Ni treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Nickel tolerance in C. pepo is ensured by a combination of mechanisms such as increased proline content.
- Taxon
- C. pepoCucurbita pepoe1
- Compound
- prolinee1
- Outcome
- nickel tolerancee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“nickel tolerance in C. pepo is ensured by a combination of several mechanisms such as an increase in the content of proline”
Claim · model-written summary
The species survived and tolerated toxic Ni concentrations up to 500 µM to different degrees, with visible toxicity symptoms such as leaf chlorosis.
- Taxon
- Cucurbita pepo L.Cucurbita pepot0
- Outcome
- survive and tolerate, to different degrees, toxic cationse1
- Qualifier
- concentrations up to 500 µMe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Cucurbita pepo L.”
e1“This species can survive and tolerate, to different degrees, toxic cations at concentrations up to 500 µM but with visible symptoms of toxicity such as chlorosis of the leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Based on hyperaccumulation thresholds, Cucurbita pepo can be qualified as a nickel hyperaccumulator species.
- Taxon
- Cucurbita pepoCucurbita pepoe1
- Outcome
- hyperaccumulator species of nickele1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“based on thresholds of hyperaccumulation, we can qualify Cucurbita pepo as a hyperaccumulator species of nickel”
The same questions in other papers
nickel atom · growth · Cucurbita pepoPositive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- positive
- negative
- negative
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.