Effects of zinc on cadmium uptake by spring wheat （Triticum aestivum, L.）： long-time hydroponic study and short-time ^109Cd tracing study

To investigate effects of Zn on Cd uptake by spring wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) in solution culture, long-time hydroponic experiment (1 month) (Experiment 1) and short-time Cd isotope (109Cd) tracing experiment (24 h) (Experiment 2) were conducted. In Experiment 1, spring wheat (cv. Brookton) was grown in nutrient solution at uniform cadmium concentration of 20μ mol/L and 10 zinc concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10, 20, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000 μ mol/L). In Experiment 2, spring wheat seedlings,pre-cultivated in complete nutrient solution, were treated with 109Cd of uniform activity and the same series of Zn concentrations as those in Experiment 1 for 24 h. Cd concentrations in shoots and roots in Experiment 1 increased marginally but not consistently with Zn increasing at Zn rates of 1～200 μmol/L, and then decreased significantly at high rates (＞200 μ mol/L). In Experiment 2, the response of 109Cd activities in shoots and roots to increasing Zn was greatly similar to the response of Cd concentrations to Zn increasing in Experiment 1. The results of the two experiments indicated that the short-time and long-time exposure of spring wheat to Zn had similar effects on Cd accumulation.     

Extraction and isolation of the salidroside-type metabolite from zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance

The active metabolite in the post-harvested biomass of zinc(Zn) and cadmium(Cd) hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance from phytoextraction is of great interest in China.The current study demonstrates that a salidroside-type metabolite can be yielded from the Zn/Cd hyperaccumulator S.alfredii biomass by means of sonication/ethanol extraction and macroporous resin column(AB-8 type) isolation.The concentrations of Zn and Cd in the salidroside-type metabolite were below the limitation of the national standards.     

Accumulation of chromium by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Commelina communis</Emphasis> L. grown in solution with different concentrations of Cr and L-histidine

Hydroponic experiments conducted to examine the chromiun uptake by C. communis in the presence of different Cr concentrations (Cr⁶⁺ 100 and 200 mg/L, respectively) and free histidine supplementation (0.5 and 1.0 mol/L) showed that shoot and root growth of C. communis decreased greatly with increasing Cr concentrations in the medium; and that the species was a typical excluder since it accumulated high concentrations of Cr in roots but comparatively low concentrations in shoots. Chromium in shoots and roots of Cr₄^2?-supplied plants ranged from 329–1880 and 3788–4240 mg/kg DW, respectively, while those of Cr₄^2?-histidine-supplied plants ranged from 478 to 629 mg/kg and 4157–4303 mg/kg DW, respectively. With Cr present in the hydroponic solution, C. communis accumulated more Cr in its tissues. Increasing histidine application to the solution significantly increased chromium accumulation in the plant tissues but could not alter the accumulation pattern of plants although it induced a higher concentration of Cr in its shoots and roots. These features suggested that C. communis may serve as an alternative species in a constructed wetland for phytoextraction treatment of Cr-containing wastewater and for phytostabilization of Cr mining spoils.     

Interaction of salinity and cadmium stresses on mineral nutrients,sodium, and cadmium accumulation in four barley genotypes

Interaction of salinity （NaCI） and cadmium （Cd） on growth, mineral nutrients, Na and Cd accumulation in four barley genotypes differing in salt tolerance was studied in a hydroponic experiment. Cd, NaCI and their combined stresses reduced Ca and Mg concentrations in roots and shoots, K concentration in shoots, increased K and Cu concentrations in roots relative to control, but had non-significant effect on micronutrients Cu, Fe and Mn concentrations in shoot. The three stresses reduced accumulation of most tested nutrients in both roots and shoots, except NaCI and NaCl＋Cd stresses for root K and shoot Cu accumulation in salt tolerant genotypes. The salt tolerant genotypes did not have higher nutrient concentration and accumulation than the sensitive ones when exposed to Cd and NaCI stresses. In conclusion, the affecting mechanism of Cd stress on nutrients was to some extent different from salinity stress, and the NaCl＋Cd stress was not equal to additional Cd and NaCI stresses, probably due to the different valence and competitive site of Na^＋ and Cd^2＋. NaCI addition in the Cd-containing medium caused remarkable reductions in both Cd concentration and accumulation, with the extent of reduction being also dependent on genotypes. The salt-tolerant genotypes had lower Na concentration than sensitive ones.     

Cadmium accumulation in different pakchoi cultivars and screening for pollution-safe cultivars

The selection and breeding of pollution-safe cultivars (PSCs) is a practicable and cost-effective approach to minimize the influx of heavy metal to the human food chain. In this study, both pot-culture and field experiments were conducted to identify and screen out cadmium pollution-safe cultivars (Cd-PSCs) from 50 pakchoi (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) cultivars for food safety. When treated with 1.0 or 2.5 mg/kg Cd, most of the pakchoi cultivars (>70%) showed greater or similar shoot biomass when compared with the control. This result indicates that pakchoi has a considerable tolerance to soil Cd stress. Cd concentrations in the shoot varied significantly (P<0.05) between cultivars: in two Cd treatments (1.0 and 2.5 mg/kg), the average values were 0.074 and 0.175 mg/kg fresh weight (FW), respectively. Cd concentrations in the shoots of 14 pakchoi cultivars were lower than 0.05 mg/kg FW. In pot-culture experiments, both enrichment factors (EFs) and translocation factors (TFs) of six pakchoi cultivars were lower than 1.0. The field studies further confirmed that the Hangzhouyoudonger, Aijiaoheiye 333, and Zaoshenghuajing cultivars are Cd-PSCs, and are therefore suitable for growth in low Cd-contaminated soils (≤1.2 mg/kg) without any risk to food safety.     

Response of ATP sulfurylase and serine acetyltransferase towards cadmium in hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance

We studied the responses of the activities of adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) sulfurylase (ATPS) and serine acetyltransferase (SAT) to cadmium (Cd) levels and treatment time in hyperaccumulating ecotype (HE) Sedum alfredii Hance, as compared with its non-hyperaccumulating ecotype (NHE). The results show that plant growth was inhibited in NHE but promoted in HE when exposed to high Cd level. Cd concentrations in leaves and shoots rapidly increased in HE rather than in NHE, and they became much higher in HE than in NHE along with increasing treatment time and Cd supply levels. ATPS activity was higher in HE than in NHE in all Cd treatments, and increased with increasing Cd supply levels in both HE and NHE when exposed to Cd treatment within 8 h. However, a marked difference of ATPS activity between HE and NHE was found with Cd treatment for 168 h, where ATPS activity increased in HE but decreased in NHE. Similarly, SAT activity was higher in HE than in NHE at all Cd treatments, but was more sensitive in NHE than in HE. Both ATPS and SAT activities in NHE leaves tended to decrease with increasing treatment time after 8 h at all Cd levels. The results reveal the different responses in sulfur assimilation enzymes and Cd accumulation between HE and NHE. With increasing Cd stress, the activities of sulfur assimilation enzymes (ATPS and SAT) were induced in HE, which may contribute to Cd accumulation in the hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30630046) and the Hi-Tech Research and Development Program (863) of China (No. 2006AA06Z386), and the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University, China (No. IRT0536)     

Interactions of cadmium and aluminum toxicity in their effect on growth and physiological parameters in soybean

The effect of Al and Cd on the growth, photosynthesis, and accumulation of Al, Cd and plant nutrients in two soybean genotypes were determined using hydroponic culture. There were six treatments: pH 6.5; pH 4.0; pH 6.5 1.0 μmol/L Cd; pH 4.0 1.0 μmol/L Cd; pH 4.0 150 μmol/L Al; pH 4.0 1.0 μmol/L Cd 150 μmol/L Al. The low pH (4.0) and Al treatments caused marked reduction in root length, shoot height, dry weight, chlorophyll content (SPAD value) and photosynthetic rate. Al-sensitive cv. Zhechun 2 accumulated comparatively more Al and Cd in plants than Al-tolerant cv. Liao 1. Compared with pH 6.5, pH 4.0 resulted in significant increase in Cd and Al concentration in plants. Combined application of Cd and Al enhanced their accu-mulation in roots, but caused a reduction in shoots. The concentrations of all 10 nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and B), except Mo were also increased when plants were exposed to pH lower than pH 6.5. Al addition caused a reduction in the con-centration of most nutrients in plant roots and shoots; but K, Mn and Zn in roots were increased. Treatments with Cd alone or together with Al reduced the concentrations of all the plant nutrients in plants. Al-sensitive genotype Zhechun 2 has lower nutrient concentration than Al-tolerant genotype Liao 1. The current findings imply that Al and Cd are synergistic in their effect on plant growth, physiological traits and nutrient uptake.     

Pb uptake,accumulation, subcellular distribution in a Pb-accumulating ecotype of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sedum alfredii</Emphasis> (Hance)

Lead concentrations in roots, stems and leaves of accumulating and non-accumulating ecotypes ofSedum alfredii (Hance) were studied through a hydroponic experiment with different Pb concentrations supplied as Pb(NO₃)₂. Lead concentrations in leaves and stems of the accumulating ecotype were 4–9 times and 3–5 times those of the non-accumulating ecotype, and Pb-accumulated amounts in stems and leaves of the accumulating ecotype were 4–9 times and 8–11 times higher than those of the non-accumulating ecotype, respectively. The results indicated that the accumulating ecotype had better ability to transport Pb from roots to shoots. The subcellular distributions of Pb in the root, stem and leaf tissues were studied using sucrose differential centrifugation. Approximately 50% of Pb contents was found to be associated with the cell wall fraction in stems of the accumulating ecotype and the percentage increased to 80% both in roots and leaves, no matter when plants were grown with different levels of Pb. The results indicated that the distribution of Pb on cell walls of the accumulating ecotype could mainly account for the high tolerance to Pb. Project supported by a Key Project from the Educational Ministry of China (No:02180) and by the Outstanding Young Scientist Grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No: 39925024).     

Role of jasmonic acid in improving tolerance of rapeseed (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.) to Cd toxicity

The well-known detrimental effects of cadmium (Cd) on plants are chloroplast destruction, photosynthetic pigment inhibition, imbalance of essential plant nutrients, and membrane damage. Jasmonic acid (JA) is an alleviator against different stresses such as salinity and drought. However, the functional attributes of JA in plants such as the interactive effects of JA application and Cd on rapeseed in response to heavy metal stress remain unclear. JA at 50 μmol/L was observed in literature to have senescence effects in plants. In the present study, 25 μmol/L JA is observed to be a “stress ameliorating molecule” by improving the tolerance of rapeseed plants to Cd toxicity. JA reduces the Cd uptake in the leaves, thereby reducing membrane damage and malondialdehyde content and increasing the essential nutrient uptake. Furthermore, JA shields the chloroplast against the damaging effects of Cd, thereby increasing gas exchange and photosynthetic pigments. Moreover, JA modulates the antioxidant enzyme activity to strengthen the internal defense system. Our results demonstrate the function of JA in alleviating Cd toxicity and its underlying mechanism. Moreover, JA attenuates the damage of Cd to plants. This study enriches our knowledge regarding the use of and protection provided by JA in Cd stress.     

纳米银对黄瓜和小麦的毒性效应研究

研究目的：研究纳米银对黄瓜和小麦的毒性及在植物中的转运和分布,探讨其毒性机制,为纳米银的环境风险评估提供科学依据。创新要点：1.选取单子叶和双子叶植物为对象,比较研究纳米银对其萌发阶段和生长阶段的毒性效应及其影响因素;2.多数研究中的纳米银均有表面修饰,本研究选择无表面修饰的纳米银材料,排除表面活性剂的干扰因素;3.以络合剂半胱氨酸掩蔽解离出的银离子,探讨纳米银颗粒对植物毒性的贡献。研究方法：通过植物根长（图2）和生物量（图3）分别评价萌发和生长阶段纳米银的植物毒性。利用电感耦合等离子体质谱（ICP-MS）测定植物组织银元素的含量（图7）。通过组织切片,利用透射电镜（TEM）观察植物根中银的微观分布（图6）。通过在暴露介质中添加半胱氨酸掩蔽银离子来评价纳米银颗粒对植物毒性的贡献（图3和5）。重要结论：在较高暴露浓度情况下,纳米银和银离子对小麦和黄瓜都具有明显的毒性。但当纳米银浓度低于200 mg/L,银离子浓度低于5 mg/L时,两者均能促进黄瓜根系的生长。两种植物在营养生长阶段比萌发阶段对纳米银的毒性更敏感。纳米银暴露后,银首先积聚于植物的根,然后被转移到地上部。为评价纳米银释放的银离子的作用,我们测定了暴露后介质中银离子的浓度。在种子萌发阶段,黄瓜和小麦的暴露液中约0.03%和0.01%的纳米银溶解,而在营养生长阶段,溶解的纳米银达到0.17%和0.06%。半胱氨酸作为银离子的强络合剂,能够彻底消除纳米银对黄瓜和小麦的作用,说明纳米银的植物效应可能来自于其释放的银离子。     

Caffeic acid product from the highly copper-tolerant plant Elsholtzia splendens post-phytoremediation: its extraction, purification, and identification

In the current study, caffeic acid was an important metabolite in the highly copper-tolerant plant Elsholtzia splendens. Preparation and purification of caffeic acid were performed on the dried biomass of the plants by means of sonication/ethanol extraction, followed by purification using a macroporous resin (D101 type) column and silica gel chromatography. The faint-yellow caffeic acid product was yielded with a purity of 98.46%, and it was chemically identified from spectra of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR)/carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Caffeic acid is a possible product from the post-harvest processing of Elsholtzia splendens biomass.     

植物铝毒及耐铝毒机制研究进展

本文主要综述了近几年对植物铝毒及耐铝毒机制的一些研究进展。铝毒机制主要包括：(1)铝毒对植物营养物质吸收抑制的机制；(2)铝毒对根生长抑制的机制。耐铝毒机制主要包括：(1)有机酸的螯合作用；(2)铝诱导蛋白机制。     

Differential response of root morphology to potassium deficient stress among rice genotypes varying in potassium efficiency

Disparity in the root morphology of six rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes varying in potassium (K) efficiency was studied with three K levels: 5 mg/L (low),10 mg/L (moderate) and 40 mg/L (adequate) in hydroponic culture.Morphological parameters included root length,surface area,volume and count of lateral roots,as well as fine (diameter<0.2 mm) and thick (diameter>0.2 mm) roots.The results indicate that the root growth of all genotypes was reduced under low K,but moderate K deficiency increased the root length of the efficient genotypes.At deficient and moderate K levels,all the efficient rice genotypes developed more fine roots (diameter<0.2 mm) than the inefficient ones.Both fine root count and root surface area were found to be the best parameters to portray K stress in rice.In accordance with the root morphology,higher K concentrations were noted in shoots of the efficient genotypes when grown at moderate and deficient K levels,indicating that root morphology parameters are involved in root uptake for K and in the translocation of K up to shoots.K deficiency affected not only the root morphology,but also the root ultra-structure.The roots of high-efficient genotypes had stronger tolerance to K deficient stress for root membrane damage,and could maintain the developed root architecture to adapt to the low K growth medium.     

Effects of elevated CO(2) levels on root morphological traits and Cd uptakes of two Lolium species under Cd stress

This study was conducted to investigate the combined effects of elevated CO₂ levels and cadmium (Cd) on the root morphological traits and Cd accumulation in Lolium multiflorum Lam. and Lolium perenne L. exposed to two CO₂ levels (360 and 1 000 μl/L) and three Cd levels (0, 4, and 16 mg/L) under hydroponic conditions. The results show that elevated levels of CO₂ increased shoot biomass more, compared to root biomass, but decreased Cd concentrations in all plant tissues. Cd exposure caused toxicity to both Lolium species, as shown by the restrictions of the root morphological parameters including root length, surface area, volume, and tip numbers. These parameters were significantly higher under elevated levels of CO₂ than under ambient CO₂, especially for the number of fine roots. The increases in magnitudes of those parameters triggered by elevated levels of CO₂ under Cd stress were more than those under non-Cd stress, suggesting an ameliorated Cd stress under elevated levels of CO₂. The total Cd uptake per pot, calculated on the basis of biomass, was significantly greater under elevated levels of CO₂ than under ambient CO₂. Ameliorated Cd toxicity, decreased Cd concentration, and altered root morphological traits in both Lolium species under elevated levels of CO₂ may have implications in food safety and phytoremediation.     

Long-term high fructose and saturated fat diet affects plasma fatty acid profile in rats

As the consumption of fructose and saturated fatty acids (FAs) has greatly increased in western diets and is linked with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a moderate (10 weeks) and a prolonged (30 weeks) high fructose and saturated fatty acid (HFS) diet on plasma FA composition in rats. The effects of a few weeks of HFS diet had already been described, but in this paper we tried to establish whether these effects persist or if they are modified after 10 or 30 weeks. We hypothesized that the plasma FA profile would be altered between 10 and 30 weeks of the HFS diet. Rats fed with either the HFS or a standard diet were tested after 10 weeks and again after 30 weeks. After 10 weeks of feeding, HFS-fed rats developed the metabolic syndrome, as manifested by an increase in fasting insulinemia, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as by impaired glucose tolerance. Furthermore, the plasma FA profile of the HFS group showed higher proportions of monounsaturated FAs like palmitoleic acid [16:1(n-7)] and oleic acid [18:1(n-9)], whereas the proportions of some polyunsaturated n-6 FAs, such as linoleic acid [18:2(n-6)] and arachidonic acid [20:4(n-6)], were lower than those in the control group. After 30 weeks of the HFS diet, we observed changes mainly in the levels of 16:1(n-7) (decreased) and 20:4(n-6) (increased). Together, our results suggest that an HFS diet could lead to an adaptive response of the plasma FA profile over time, in association with the development of the metabolic syndrome.     

Enrichment of semi-volatile organic acids from aqueous solutions by multiple-effect membrane distillation

Multiple-effect membrane distillation(MEMD) process for enriching semi-volatile organic acids from their individual aqueous solutions was performed by using a hollow fiber-based air gap membrane distillation(AGMD)module with the function of internal heat recovery.Aqueous solutions of glyoxylic acid,glycolic acid,lactic acid,pyruvic acid,malonic acid and glutaric acid were used as model feed.For a feed of 1%(mass fraction),each acid could be enriched for 8-20 times,which depended on the surface tension of the concentrate.The operation performance of MEMD process was characterized by permeation flux J,performance ratio PR and acid rejection rate R.The effects of cold feed-in temperature,heated feed-in temperature,feed-in volumetric flow rate and feed-in concentration on MEMD performance were experimentally evaluated.Maximum values of J,PR and R were 4.8 L/(h·m 2),9.84 and 99.93%,respectively.Moreover,MEMD process demonstrated a fairly good stability in a long-term experiment lasting for 30 d when aqueous solution of 4%(mass fraction) lactic acid was used as a feed.     

Effect of three cooking methods on nutrient components and antioxidant capacities of bamboo shoot (Phyllostachys praecox C.D. Chu et C.S. Chao)

Three cooking methods, namely boiling, steaming, and stir-frying for 5 to 10 min, were used to evaluate the effect on nutrient components, free amino acids, l-ascorbic acid, total phenolic contents, and antioxidant capacities of bamboo shoots (Phyllostachys praecox). Results showed that boiling and stir-frying had a great effect on the nutrient components and they decreased the contents of protein, soluble sugar, and ash, and caused a great loss in the total free amino acids (decreased by 38.35% and 34.86%, respectively). Significant differences (P<0.05) in free amino acids were observed in the samples cooked by different methods. Stir-fried bamboo shoots had a high fat content which increased by 528.57% because of the addition of edible oil. After boiling, the L-ascorbic acid and total phenolic contents were significantly reduced, while steaming increased total phenolic content by 3.98% and stir-frying well-preserved L-ascorbic acid (78.87% of its previous content). Results of the antioxidative property study showed that stir-frying could increase antioxidant capacities of bamboo shoots. It is concluded that stir-frying is more suitable for bamboo shoots because it could obtain the maximum retention of antioxidant capacities.     

Non-dispersive solvent extraction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-toluic acid from purified terephthalic acid plant wastewater with <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-xylene as extractant

Non-dispersive solvent extraction (NDSE) with p-xylene as extractant was employed as a novel separation method to recover both p-toluic (PT) acid and water from purified terephthalic acid (PTA) wastewater. The mass transport behavior of PT acid from aqueous solution to p-xylene was investigated by experiments and numerical simulation. Experiments showed that NDSE is feasible and effective. Residual PT acid in the raffinate can be reduced to lower than the permitted limit of wastewater re-use (100 g/m³) with extraction time longer than 60 s in industrial conditions. A mathematical model of PT acid mass transport was developed to optimize the membrane module performance. The model was validated with the experimental results with relative errors of less than 6%. Numerical analysis for mass transfer through the lumen side, the porous membrane layer, and the shell side showed that PT acid transport in the aqueous solution is the rate determining step. The effects of the membrane and operating parameters on membrane module performance were investigated by means of computational simulations. The key parameters suggested for industrial NDSE design are: fiber inner radius r₁=200–250 µm, extraction time t_e=50–60 s, aqueous/organic volumetric ratio a/o=9.0, and temperature T=318 K.     

Effects of ammonium application rate on uptake of soil adsorbed amino acids by rice

In recent years, excessive use of chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizers has resulted in the accumulation of excess ammonium (NH ₄ ⁺ ) in many agricultural soils. Though rice is known as an NH ₄ ⁺ -tolerant species and can directly absorb soil intact amino acids, we still know considerably less about the role of high exogenous NH ₄ ⁺ content on rice uptake of soil amino acids. This experiment examined the effects of the exogenous NH ₄ ⁺ concentration on rice uptake of soil adsorbed glycine in two different soils under sterile culture. Our data showed that the sorption capacity of glycine was closely related to soils;’ physical and chemical properties, such as organic matter and cation exchange capacity. Rice biomass was significantly inhibited by the exogenous NH ₄ ⁺ content at different glycine adsorption concentrations. A three-way analysis of variance demonstrated that rice glycine uptake and glycine nutritional contribution were not related to its sorption capacity, but significantly related to its glycine:NH ₄ ⁺ concentration ratio. After 21-d sterile cultivation, the rice uptake of adsorbed glycine accounted for 8.8%;–22.6% of rice total N uptake, which indicates that soil adsorbed amino acids theoretically can serve as an important N source for plant growth in spite of a high NH ₄ ⁺ application rate. However, further studies are needed to investigate the extent to which this bioavailability is realized in the field using the ¹³C, ¹⁵N double labeling technology.