Abstract
Heavy metal contamination, particularly cadmium (Cd), is a significant threat to agricultural productivity and food security. Melatonin, as a key biostimulant, plant growth regulator and stress resistance hormone, along with nano-calcium oxide (nCaO), can enhance plant resilience to stress. However, few studies have investigated the combined effects of melatonin and nCaO in mitigating Cd stress in plants. This study examined the effects of the combined application of melatonin (100 µM) and nCaO (100 mg kg-1) on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedlings. Under Cd stress, alfalfa seedlings exhibited a 43% reduction in shoot length, 50% in root length, and 60% in chlorophyll content, while increased MDA, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and O2•– accumulation. However, the combined application of melatonin and nCaO significantly alleviated Cd toxicity, enhancing shoot and root growth by 46% and 49%, respectively. Photosynthetic efficiency improved by 70%, while chlorophyll content and Fv/Fm ratio increased by 68% and 81%, respectively. This treatment also reduced Cd accumulation in roots and shoots by 47% and 75%, while increasing calcium uptake by 84% in roots and 63% in shoots. Antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) were upregulated by 59%, 42%, 62%, and 49%, respectively, mitigating oxidative damage. The effect of combined treatment on ultrastructural analysis revealed restored chloroplast integrity and stomatal functionality under Cd stress. The combined application of melatonin + nano calcium oxide shows great promise for ecologically acceptable alleviation of Cd stress in alfalfa by lowering its absorption.
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Claims 18
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress reduced alfalfa shoot length by 43%.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- Cd stresse0
- Outcome
- shoot lengthe0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 43%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under Cd stress, alfalfa seedlings exhibited a 43% reduction in shoot length”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress reduced alfalfa root length by 50%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under Cd stress, alfalfa seedlings exhibited a 43% reduction in shoot length, 50% in root length”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress reduced chlorophyll content by 60%.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- Cd stresse0
- Outcome
- chlorophyll contente0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 60%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under Cd stress, alfalfa seedlings exhibited a 43% reduction in shoot length, 50% in root length, and 60% in chlorophyll content”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium stress increased MDA, hydrogen peroxide and O2•– accumulation.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- Cd stresse0
- Outcome
- MDA, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and O2•– accumulatione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under Cd stress, alfalfa seedlings exhibited a 43% reduction in shoot length, 50% in root length, and 60% in chlorophyll content, while increased MDA, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and O2•– accumulation”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined melatonin and nCaO increased shoot growth by 46% under cadmium stress.
- Treatment
- combined application of melatonin and nCaOe0
- Outcome
- shoot and root growthe0
- Direction
- enhancinge0
- Value
- 46%e0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“combined application of melatonin and nCaO significantly alleviated Cd toxicity, enhancing shoot and root growth by 46% and 49%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined melatonin and nCaO increased root growth by 49% under cadmium stress.
- Treatment
- combined application of melatonin and nCaOe0
- Outcome
- root growthe0
- Direction
- enhancinge0
- Value
- 49%e0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“combined application of melatonin and nCaO significantly alleviated Cd toxicity, enhancing shoot and root growth by 46% and 49%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Photosynthetic efficiency improved by 70% with combined treatment.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“Photosynthetic efficiency improved by 70%”
Claim · model-written summary
Chlorophyll content increased by 68% with combined treatment.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“chlorophyll content and Fv/Fm ratio increased by 68% and 81%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Fv/Fm ratio increased by 81% with combined treatment.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“chlorophyll content and Fv/Fm ratio increased by 68% and 81%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment reduced root cadmium accumulation by 47%.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“This treatment also reduced Cd accumulation in roots and shoots by 47% and 75%”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment reduced shoot cadmium accumulation by 75%.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“This treatment also reduced Cd accumulation in roots and shoots by 47% and 75%”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased calcium uptake in roots by 84%.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“increasing calcium uptake by 84% in roots and 63% in shoots”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment increased calcium uptake in shoots by 63%.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“increasing calcium uptake by 84% in roots and 63% in shoots”
Claim · model-written summary
SOD activity rose by 59% with combined treatment.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“Antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) were upregulated by 59%, 42%, 62%, and 49%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
POD activity rose by 42% with combined treatment.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“Antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) were upregulated by 59%, 42%, 62%, and 49%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
CAT activity rose by 62% with combined treatment.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“Antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) were upregulated by 59%, 42%, 62%, and 49%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
APX activity rose by 49% with combined treatment.
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“Antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) were upregulated by 59%, 42%, 62%, and 49%, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined treatment restored chloroplast integrity and stomatal functionality under cadmium stress.
- Treatment
- combined treatmente0
- Outcome
- chloroplast integrity and stomatal functionalitye0
- Direction
- restorede0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“combined treatment on ultrastructural analysis revealed restored chloroplast integrity and stomatal functionality under Cd stress”
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See all 16 papers →8 of 9 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
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.