Assessment of oxidative stress markers and concentrations of selected elements in the leaves of Cassia occidentalis growing wild on a coal fly ash basin

Abstract

Assessment of oxidative stress levels and tissue concentrations of elements in plants growing wild on fly ash basins is critical for realistic hazard identification of fly ash disposal areas. Hitherto, levels of oxidative stress markers in plants growing wild on fly ash basins have not been adequately investigated. We report here concentrations of selected metal and metalloid elements and levels of oxidative stress markers in leaves of Cassia occidentalis growing wild on a fly ash basin (Badarpur Thermal Power Station site) and a reference site (Garhi Mandu Van site). Plants growing on the fly ash basin had significantly high foliar concentration of As, Ni, Pb and Se and low foliar concentration of Mn and Fe compared to the plants growing on the reference site. The plants inhabiting the fly ash basin showed signs of oxidative stress and had elevated levels of lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage from cells and low levels of chlorophyll a and total carotenoids compared to plants growing at the reference site. The levels of both protein thiols and nonprotein thiols were elevated in plants growing on the fly ash basin compared to plants growing on the reference site. However, no differences were observed in the levels of cysteine, reduced glutathione and oxidized glutathione in plants growing at both the sites. Our study suggests that: (1) fly ash triggers oxidative stress responses in plants growing wild on fly ash basin, and (2) elevated levels of protein thiols and nonprotein thiols may have a role in protecting the plants from environmental stress.

Distribution of some potentially toxic elements in the soils of the Jharia Coalfield: A probabilistic approach for source identification and risk assessment

“…compares the mean concentration of trace metals in the topsoil of JCF with that of the data reported in the different coal industryassociated soils in India(Agrawal et al, 2010;Das & Chakrapani, 2011;George et al, 2015;Khan et al, 2017;Kisku et al, 2018;Love et al, 2013;Reza et al, 2015). A comparison of the data reveals that the content of Cu and Zn in the topsoil of JCF is lower than other industrial soils.…”

The Phytoremediation Potential and Physiological Adaptive Response of Tamarix tetrandra Pall. Ex M. Bieb. during the Restoration of Chronosequence Fly Ash Deposits

“…On the other hand, lower antioxidant capacity and detoxification mechanisms relative to ROS production levels in intolerant plant species lead to a reduction in photosynthetic pigment production and oxidative damage to lipids, DNA and proteins, resulting in lipid peroxidation of membranes, loss of their structural and functional integrity and impairment of their selective permeability [ 14 , 15 ]. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is formed as an end product of the decomposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids during the peroxidation of membrane lipids with its level used to indicate lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”

“…This gives them the capacity to scavenge ROS and to reduce lipid peroxidation of membranes and damage to the photosynthetic apparatus [ 20 ]. For all the above reasons, changes in light absorption, lipid peroxidation and phenol metabolism can be used as early indicators of plants’ biochemical response to stress before the appearance of visible symptoms of phytotoxicity and can serve as a diagnostic criterion for quantifying adaptations/the tolerance of plants to phytotoxic concentrations of pollutants, i.e., as markers of oxidative stress caused by pollution [ 14 , 16 ].…”

Effects of Iron-Modified Biochar and AMF Inoculation on the Growth and Heavy Metal Uptake of Senna occidentalis in Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil

“…We chose this plant as our research material as it possesses a variety of medical uses with great pharmacological potential, and thus has high economic value [10]. It can thrive in low P soil and commonly occurs in heavy metal-contaminated areas [11]. Not only is S. occidentalis a medicinal herb, but the above characteristics indicate that it is able to thrive even under adverse environmental conditions, and has potential application as a restorative material in heavy metal-contaminated areas.…”