Abstract
Contamination of agricultural soils with cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) poses significant risks to forage production and food chain safety in arid and semi-arid regions. Kochia (Kochia scoparia L.) is a fast-growing, stress-tolerant forage species with potential for phytoremediation. This study evaluated the biochemical, uptake, and translocation responses of kochia roots to soil contaminated with Cd or Pb at concentrations of 25–800 mg kg−1. Key parameters assessed included non-enzymatic antioxidants (e.g., phenols, flavonoids, proline, glycine betaine), enzymatic activities (catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase), hydrogen peroxide content, osmolyte accumulation (water-soluble carbohydrates and proteins), and metal bioconcentration factor (BCF), biological accumulation coefficient (BAC), translocation factor (TF), and translocation efficiency (TE %). Results demonstrated that kochia accumulated substantial Cd and Pb in roots, with maximum root concentrations correlating positively with soil levels (polynomial relationships; R2 > 0.95). Cd exhibited high root-to-shoot translocation (TF up to 1.5 at 800 mg kg−1; TE % up to 60%), while Pb was predominantly sequestered in roots (TF < 0.5; TE % < 30%). Cd induced stronger oxidative stress, evidenced by greater elevations in hydrogen peroxide (up to 115.2% increase at 800 mg kg−1), antioxidant enzymes (e.g., ascorbate peroxidase increased 79.3% at 800 mg kg−1), and osmoprotectants (e.g., proline 33.9%, glycine betaine 66.9%) compared to Pb (proline 27%, glycine betaine 50.1%). Biomass declined more severely under Cd (shoot dry weight reduced 83.4% at 800 mg kg−1) than Pb (67.6%). BCF and BAC were highest at 25 mg kg−1 (BCF > 4 for both metals) and decreased with concentration. These findings position kochia as an effective Cd phytoremediator due to high translocation, but highlight food chain risks from shoot Cd accumulation when used as forage, necessitating strict biomass management in contaminated sites.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Kochia roots accumulated substantial cadmium.
BassiaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“kochia accumulated substantial Cd and Pb in roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Kochia roots accumulated substantial lead.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“kochia accumulated substantial Cd and Pb in roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Maximum root metal concentrations correlated positively with soil levels.
- Organ / stage
- roote0
- Outcome
- maximum root concentrationse0
- Direction
- positivelye0
- Value
- R2 > 0.95e0
- Setting
- soil levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maximum root concentrations correlating positively with soil levels (polynomial relationships; R2 > 0.95)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium had high root to shoot translocation, with TF up to 1.5.
- Treatment
- Cde0
- Outcome
- root-to-shoot translocatione0
- Direction
- highe0
- Value
- TF up to 1.5e0
- Qualifier
- at 800 mg kg−1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cd exhibited high root-to-shoot translocation (TF up to 1.5 at 800 mg kg−1; TE % up to 60%)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium translocation efficiency reached 60%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cd exhibited high root-to-shoot translocation (TF up to 1.5 at 800 mg kg−1; TE % up to 60%)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Lead was predominantly sequestered in roots, with TF below 0.5.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pb was predominantly sequestered in roots (TF < 0.5; TE % < 30%)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Lead translocation efficiency was below 30%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pb was predominantly sequestered in roots (TF < 0.5; TE % < 30%)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium increased hydrogen peroxide by up to 115.2% at the highest dose.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“hydrogen peroxide (up to 115.2% increase at 800 mg kg−1)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Ascorbate peroxidase increased 79.3% under cadmium at the highest dose.
- Gene
- ascorbate peroxidasee0
- Outcome
- ascorbate peroxidasee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 79.3%e0
- Qualifier
- at 800 mg kg−1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ascorbate peroxidase increased 79.3% at 800 mg kg−1”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium increased proline by 33.9%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“proline 33.9%, glycine betaine 66.9%) compared to Pb”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium increased glycine betaine by 66.9%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“proline 33.9%, glycine betaine 66.9%) compared to Pb”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Lead increased proline by 27%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pb (proline 27%, glycine betaine 50.1%)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Lead increased glycine betaine by 50.1%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pb (proline 27%, glycine betaine 50.1%)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium reduced shoot dry weight 83.4% at the highest dose.
- Organ / stage
- shoote0
- Treatment
- Cde0
- Outcome
- shoot dry weighte0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 83.4%e0
- Qualifier
- at 800 mg kg−1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Biomass declined more severely under Cd (shoot dry weight reduced 83.4% at 800 mg kg−1) than Pb (67.6%)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
Lead reduced shoot dry weight 67.6%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Biomass declined more severely under Cd (shoot dry weight reduced 83.4% at 800 mg kg−1) than Pb (67.6%)”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
BCF was highest at 25 mg kg−1 and exceeded 4 for both metals.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BCF and BAC were highest at 25 mg kg−1 (BCF > 4 for both metals) and decreased with concentration”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
BAC was highest at 25 mg kg−1.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BCF and BAC were highest at 25 mg kg−1 (BCF > 4 for both metals) and decreased with concentration”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
BCF and BAC decreased with increasing metal concentration.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BCF and BAC were highest at 25 mg kg−1 (BCF > 4 for both metals) and decreased with concentration”
t0“kochia”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors identified kochia as an effective cadmium phytoremediator owing to high translocation.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“kochia as an effective Cd phytoremediator due to high translocation”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommended strict biomass management because shoot cadmium accumulation may create food chain risks.
- Outcome
- strict biomass managemente0
- Qualifier
- food chain risks from shoot Cd accumulation when used as foragee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“food chain risks from shoot Cd accumulation when used as forage, necessitating strict biomass management in contaminated sites”
t0“kochia”