The interactive effect of pH variation and cadmium stress on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth, physiological and biochemical parameters

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities such as mining, manufacturing, and application of fertilizers release substantial quantities of cadmium (Cd) into the environment. In the natural environment, varying pH may play an important role in the absorption and accumulation of Cd in plants, which can cause toxicity and increase the risk to humans. We conducted a hydroponic experiment to examine the impact of pH on cadmium (Cd) solubility and bioavailability in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under controlled environmental conditions. The results showed that Cd concentration was significantly reduced in wheat with an increase in pH from 5 to 7, while it was dramatically increased at pH ranging from 7 to 9. However, in both cases, a significant reduction in physiological traits was observed. The addition of Cd (20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at all pH levels caused a substantial decline in wheat growth, chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, nutrient availability, while elevated cell membrane damage was observed in terms of electrolytic leakage (EL), osmoprotectants, and antioxidants activity. In our findings, the negative effects of acidic pH (5) on wheat growth and development were more pronounced in the presence of Cd toxicities. For instance, Cd concentration with 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1 at acidic pH (5) reduced shoot dry biomass by 45%, 53%, and 79%, total chlorophyll contents by 26%, 41%, 56% while increased CAT activity in shoot by 109%, 175%, and 221%, SOD activity in shoot by 122%, 135%, and 167%, POD activity in shoot by 137%, 250%, and 265%, MDA contents in shoot by 51%, 83%, and 150%, H2O2 contents in shoot by 175%, 219%, and 292%, EL in shoot by 108%, 165%, and 230%, proline contents in shoot by 235%, 280%, and 393%, respectively as compared to neutral pH without Cd toxicities. On the other hand, neutral pH with Cd toxicities alleviated the negative effects of Cd toxicity on wheat plants by limiting Cd uptake, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and increased nutrient availability. In conclusion, neutral pH minimized the adverse effects of Cd stress by minimizing its uptake and accumulation in wheat plants.

About the Authors:

Shafeeq Ur Rahman

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – original draft

Affiliations Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, China, Key Laboratory of High-efficient and Safe Utilization of Agriculture Water Resources of CAAS, Xinxiang, China

ORCID logo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4736-5229

Qi Xuebin

Roles Supervision, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected] (QX); [email protected] (ZD)

Affiliations Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, China, Key Laboratory of High-efficient and Safe Utilization of Agriculture Water Resources of CAAS, Xinxiang, China

Luqman Riaz

Roles Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China

Ghulam Yasin

Roles Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology

Affiliations Department of Forestry Range and Wildlife Management, The Islamia University Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Department of Forestry and Range Management, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Multan, Pakistan

Adnan Noor Shah

Roles Data curation, Formal analysis, Validation, Writing – original draft

Affiliation: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan

ORCID logo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0040-0253

Umbreen Shahzad

Roles Resources, Validation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation: Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Campus Layyah, Layyah, Pakistan

Muhammad Shah Jahan

Roles Data curation, Investigation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation: Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Campus Layyah, Layyah, Pakistan

Allah Ditta

Roles Formal analysis, Validation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliations Department of Environmental Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Sheringal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Muhammad Amjad Bashir

Roles Software, Validation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation: Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Campus Layyah, Layyah, Pakistan

ORCID logo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3982-6566

Abdur Rehim

Roles Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation: Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Campus Layyah, Layyah, Pakistan

Zhenjie Du

Roles Supervision, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected] (QX); [email protected] (ZD)

Affiliations Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, China, Key Laboratory of High-efficient and Safe Utilization of Agriculture Water Resources of CAAS, Xinxiang, China

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities such as mining, manufacturing, and application of fertilizers release substantial quantities of cadmium (Cd) into the environment. In the natural environment, varying pH may play an important role in the absorption and accumulation of Cd in plants, which can cause toxicity and increase the risk to humans. We conducted a hydroponic experiment to examine the impact of pH on cadmium (Cd) solubility and bioavailability in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under controlled environmental conditions. The results showed that Cd concentration was significantly reduced in wheat with an increase in pH from 5 to 7, while it was dramatically increased at pH ranging from 7 to 9. However, in both cases, a significant reduction in physiological traits was observed. The addition of Cd (20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at all pH levels caused a substantial decline in wheat growth, chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, nutrient availability, while elevated cell membrane damage was observed in terms of electrolytic leakage (EL), osmoprotectants, and antioxidants activity. In our findings, the negative effects of acidic pH (5) on wheat growth and development were more pronounced in the presence of Cd toxicities. For instance, Cd concentration with 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1 at acidic pH (5) reduced shoot dry biomass by 45%, 53%, and 79%, total chlorophyll contents by 26%, 41%, 56% while increased CAT activity in shoot by 109%, 175%, and 221%, SOD activity in shoot by 122%, 135%, and 167%, POD activity in shoot by 137%, 250%, and 265%, MDA contents in shoot by 51%, 83%, and 150%, H2O2 contents in shoot by 175%, 219%, and 292%, EL in shoot by 108%, 165%, and 230%, proline contents in shoot by 235%, 280%, and 393%, respectively as compared to neutral pH without Cd toxicities. On the other hand, neutral pH with Cd toxicities alleviated the negative effects of Cd toxicity on wheat plants by limiting Cd uptake, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and increased nutrient availability. In conclusion, neutral pH minimized the adverse effects of Cd stress by minimizing its uptake and accumulation in wheat plants.

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Citation: Ur Rahman S, Xuebin Q, Riaz L, Yasin G, Noor Shah A, Shahzad U, et al. (2021) The interactive effect of pH variation and cadmium stress on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth, physiological and biochemical parameters. PLoS ONE 16(7): e0253798. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798

Editor: Muhammad Rizwan, Government College University Faisalabad, PAKISTAN

Received: April 19, 2021; Accepted: June 13, 2021; Published: July 12, 2021

Copyright: © 2021 Ur Rahman et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript.

Funding: Prof. Qi Xuebin and Dr. Zhenjie Du have received research grants from the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (Grant no. CAAS-ASTIP-FIRE-03), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 51679241, 51709265, and 51779260), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFD0800703).

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

1. Introduction

Heavy metal pollution is a global challenge to sustainable agriculture and public health. Among heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) is declared as hazardous to the environment by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) [1]. It might be due to its high mobility, leaching capacity, and ability to contaminate aquifers [2]. Plants grown in polluted soil actively absorb and accumulate Cd in different plant parts, resulting in plant toxicity, growth abnormalities, reduce yield, and adverse effects even at low concentrations [3]. It was documented that Cd inhibits ferric reductase in roots, which caused nutritional imbalance [4, 5], stomatal closure, retardation of photosynthesis, disruption of mineral uptake and accumulation [6, 7]. In addition, plant cells undergo intensified oxidation of biomolecules when exposed to Cd, led by overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [3, 8], which has caused a significant reduction in antioxidants [9].

Soil pH is the dominant factor influencing the phytoavailability and uptake of Cd in soil [10, 11] since it controls Cd’s sorption/desorption and solubility in soil solution [10, 12]. The soil pH has long been established as an important factor in determining how contaminants are transported through the atmosphere [13]. The effects of pH on the hypothetical estimation of trace metal equilibrium points have been largely investigated in previous studies [14]. Meanwhile, an experimental tool for regulating the pH of soil suspension has been established by several scientists. For instance, the set-up has been used to investigate the speciation and transformation of Cd and other trace elements in sediments and soil as a function of pH [13]. It has been established in previous findings that as pH changed, the bioavailability of heavy metals in the soil system changed as well [14]. Usually, the soil is a complicated and dynamic system, any alteration in heavy metal’s inherent physicochemical characteristics will undoubtedly vary heavy metal’s status in the soil system. However, pH is generally considered the most important parameter to influence heavy metal transportation in soil systems. Soil pH has a significant impact on plant growth and development as the acidic pH inhibits plant growth and development by restricting translocation of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg [15, 16] minerals, but these problems are exacerbated in the presence of Cd. While the alkaline pH significantly reduced the accumulation of Zn in plants. Even though the soil is a complex medium, many other factors may be involved in elucidating the interaction of pH and Cd availability to the crop plants.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a widely cultivated cereal crop after rice for its grain as a worldwide staple food for humans. It is the dominant staple food, especially in North China [17], which fulfills up to 20% daily dietary needs of 4.5 billion people worldwide [18]. The wheat crop can adapt to various climatic and soil environmental conditions, but significant grain yield loss has been reported under heavy metals stress, mainly under cadmium (Cd) polluted soils [19, 20]. One of the primary sources of Cd intake for humans is considered wheat consumption, which can create serious health risks. Many researchers have studied the adverse effects of Cd and other heavy metals, but they mostly focused on the biological mechanisms and risk assessment of toxicity [21, 22]. Once Cd enters into the human body through eating plants grown in Cd-contaminated soils, it causes acute toxicity in the kidney’s proximal tubular cells, which are responsible for Cd deposition [23]. Additionally, Cd caused demineralization of bones resulting in direct bone destruction or indirect bone deterioration via renal dysfunction. Generally, a higher concentration of Cd in human dietary food or drinking water caused lung improper functioning leading to lung cancer in humans and animals [24]. It is concluded by previous researchers that Cd is fatal among the primary toxic heavy metals when it enters the food chain [25, 26]. Hence, it has become an urgent challenge to reduce Cd accumulation in human and animal dietary crops, including wheat, to ensure food safety.

To overcome and/or reduce heavy metal accumulation in human and animal dietary crops, there are various phytoremediation techniques such as soil dressing, phytoextraction using metal hyperaccumulator plants, and organic and inorganic fertilizers amendments, and metal resistant microbes [27]. However, these techniques might not be operational under all circumstances [25]. To alternate or/along with these techniques, the modification of soil-specific properties like soil pH might be a possible way to alleviate or reduce heavy metal contaminations in human and animal dietary crops like wheat especially grown under hydroponic conditions.

Soil pH has significant effects on nutrient uptake, root diameter and root length of wheat plants. Several studies demonstrated that pH could affect the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in wheat plants in terms of superoxide anion (O2-), hydroxyl radical (OH), singlet oxygen (O2), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). For instance, Toth et al. [28] demonstrated that acidic soil pH significantly affects the lipid peroxidation and the antioxidative capability of wheat, which ultimately negatively influences the grain filling stage, resulting in reduced yield. Similarly, numerous studies have been conducted to emphasized the effects of pH variation on seed germination, nutrient availability, root growth, total plant biomass, and plant yield [29, 30]. The present study aimed to deeply analyze the influence of Ph variation on wheat growth and development and investigate Ph influence on the uptake of Cd heavy metal in wheat plants.

To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted to evaluate the optimum pH to minimize and/or inhibit Cd uptake to create sufficient tolerance in the wheat plants under Cd stress. Moreover, there is a need to conduct a detailed study to assess the effect of pH on Cd bioavailability in the wheat crop. Besides, the role of antioxidant machinery in inducing Cd tolerance in wheat needs to be explored deeper. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the optimum pH for enhanced growth, physiological and biochemical traits of wheat seedlings grown with different levels of Cd under hydroponic conditions.

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Experimental layout

The present study was conducted at the experimental site of Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, China. Healthy wheat seeds (variety = Xin Mai 23) were soaked in double distilled water overnight and then sown in purified quartz sand trays. These sand trays were mounted in a control room with a light intensity of 370 μmole m-2 S-1 and a 16h/8h (light/dark) photoperiod. The control room temperature was adjusted from 28 to 30 °C and maintained at 85% relative humidity. The two weeks old seedlings were enfolded with foam at root shoot junction and fixed in 15 in. × 17 in. size holes of plastic sheets floating on a plastic container of 10L water capacity. These plastic containers were filled with 3/4L Hoagland’s solution [31].

The treatments were applied after the plants were pre-cultured for two weeks. The pots were grouped into 12 treatments/groups, each of 6 pots. In group one, plants were exposed at pH 5 and not received any concentration of Cd. In the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th groups of pots, plants were exposed at pH 5 and Cd 20, 50 200 μmol L-1 in Hoagland solution, respectively. In group 5, pots were exposed at pH 7 and not received any concentration of Cd. In groups 6, 7, and 8, pots were exposed at pH 7 and Cd 20, 50 200 μmol L-1 in Hoagland solution, respectively. In group 9, pots were exposed at pH 9 and not received any concentration of Cd. In groups 10, 11, and 12, pots were exposed at pH 9 along with Cd 20, 50 200 μmol L-1 in Hoagland solution, respectively. The seedlings were cultured in the three solutions adjusted to pH 7 (control), 5, and 9 by adding 0.1 M NaOH to raise 0.1 M H2SO4 to lower the pH. The pH was modified three times every day with an 8 hours’ interval of times. A measured amount of cadmium salt was added in the nutrient solutions of 3 different pH levels with the same rate of 0, 20, 50, 100, and 200 μmol L-1 in the form of CdCl2. Each treatment was repeated six times. The pots were placed randomly in the control room. During the experiment, the natural conditions were used with a constant oxygen supply via pumps in each pot. The Hoagland solution was changed after 3 days, and respective pH and Cd treatments were maintained as given in the above section. The air temperature was adjusted during the daytime 22 to 30°C and during the night 15–20 °C. All plants were harvested after 3 weeks of treatment and were frozen in liquid nitrogen and immediately stored at -80 °C for enzymatic and biochemical examination.

2.2. Harvesting and plant biomass measurements

After harvesting, wheat seedlings from three out of six replicates were randomly selected and separated into root and shoot samples and examined for fresh root and shoot weights with digital weighing balance. Leaf area was assessed at this stage by using a leaf area meter. After that, root and shoot samples from the remaining three replicates were selected and stored in a freezer at -80 °C (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA 702) for enzymatic analysis. The remaining fresh root and shoot samples were placed into an oven at 70 °C for 60 minutes and then kept at 80 °C until the constant weight and measured root and shoot dry weights by ordinary weight balance. The dry samples were stored in plastic bags for further assessment of macro-, microelements, and Cd concentrations.

2.3. Measurements of photosynthetic pigments

The second fully expanded leaves of wheat plants were selected to estimate photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll) and carotenoid contents. Lichtenthaler and Well-burn [32] method was used to assess chlorophyll and carotenoids contents. For this purpose, 50 mg of fresh leaves were weighed and grounded with a small quantity of sand and magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) in a mortar. After that, the samples were chilled with 80% acetone to extract chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoid contents. The suspension was passed through a centrifugation process at 4 °C for 5 min at 5000g resolution. The supernatant was used to assess the photosynthetic and carotenoid contents with a spectrophotometer using the spectrophotometry technique.

2.4. Determination of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant enzymes

For hydrogen peroxide contents, Jana [33] method was followed with some modifications. For this, 50 mg of leaf and root samples were standardized with 3 ml of 50 mM phosphate buffer with 6.5 pH. The 3 mL of the homogenized sample was further mixed with 1 ml of 0.1% titanium sulfate in 20% (v/v) sulphuric acid. After that, the mixture was passed through the centrifugation process for 15 min. at 6000g resolution. The supernatant was separated, and its absorption was assessed at 410 nm wavelength at spectrophotometer. In the end, the hydrogen peroxide contents were multiplied with an extinction coefficient of 0.28 μmmol-1 cm-1.

Healthy fresh leaves and root samples were selected to assess malondialdehyde (MDA) contents by the method of Li, Sun [34] with some necessary modifications according to the lab requirement. Briefly, 0.2 g of leaf and root samples from each replication were homogenized separately in 5 mL of 10% TCA. Later, the homogenized samples were passed through the process of centrifugation for 20 min, at 10,000g of resolution. The supernatant was collected and pore in new test tubes and added 2 ml of 2-thiobarbituric acid. Finally, the absorption was measured at 600, 532, and 450 nm, respectively, and measured MDA contents by the following formula:

Weighted 0.2 g fresh leaf samples and were homogenized in 5 mL of 50 mM phosphate buffer with pH 7.0 containing 1% polyvinylpolypyrrolidone and 1 mM EDTA to extract the soluble protein. The homogenized samples were passed through the centrifugation process for 20 min at 4 °C at 10,000g resolution. The supernatant was collected in new test tubes to assess the following enzyme assays. At the same time, the protein contents were assessed by the method of Bradford [35] with bovine serum albumin as standard with some modifications.

The method of Beauchamp and Fridovich [36] was used to determine SOD activity in fresh leaf samples of wheat plants. One unit of SOD is equal to that amount which causes a 50% reduction in SOD-inhibited NBT. The determination of guaiacol oxidation (e = 26.6 mM-1 cm-1) at 470 nm wavelength by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reflected the activity of POD contents in leaf samples. While CAT activity is based on the hydrogen peroxide consumption at 240 nm wavelength (e = 39.4 mM-1 cm-1) as mentioned in previous findings [37].

2.5. Measurements of cell membrane stability contents

Dionisio-Sese and Tobita [38] method with some necessary modifications according to lab requirements was used to measure cell membrane stability contents in terms of electrolytic leakage (EL). About 1 g of fresh leaves were weighed and cut into small pieces. In the next step, test tubes containing 8 ml double distilled water were taken, and these pieces were put in the test tubes, which were placed in a water bath (HWS-28) for 2 hours at 37 °C and assessed EC1 with an electrical conductivity meter (DOB-303A). Later, for further extraction of electrolytes, samples were autoclaved (LDZM-40KCS-III) for 20 min at 121 °C. After that, EC2 was assessed when samples were cold down at room temperature. The following formula was used to determine total electrolyte leakage.Where EC1 = primary electrical conductivity and EC2 = secondary electrical conductivity.

2.6. Assessment of nutrient elements

About 0.3 g of oven-dried plant samples were weighed by regular weighing balance and then digested with 4 mL of sulfuric acid. The samples were placed into the digestion furnace. The furnace temperature was adjusted to 220 °C for 120 minutes until the color turned brown-yellow. After achieving the desired color, the samples were removed from the digestion furnace, and hydrogen peroxide was added at the rate of 20 drops per sample tube, and then samples were again placed on a hot plate to start heating. The above cycle was repeated 2–5 times until a clear digestion aliquot was obtained. During this process, the hydrogen peroxide amount was decreased at every cycle. While the hydrogen peroxide amount in the blank sample was constant. After that, 100 mL of the volumetric flask was selected to pore the remaining amount of multiple flushing methods. In the end, the total nitrogen in the solution was assessed by using flow analyzer-3 (BRAN+LUEBBE), and other macro-and micro-elements like potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and phosphorus in the solution were assessed by using flame photometer FP6410. The remaining macro and microelements were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS, Agilent, and 7700 X, USA) by the method of Firat [39].

2.7. Determination of cadmium concentration

The harvested root and shoot samples were washed with tap water at the end of the experiment and then doubled distilled water thoroughly. Both root and shoot samples were placed in the oven at 70 °C for 4 days, and samples were shuffled daily until the constant dry weight was gained. The samples were ground into a powder with a grinder. After that, 0.2 g of oven-dried root and shoot samples were placed into microwave digestion tubes for further digestion by the method of Fırat et al. [39]. The root and shoot samples were digested by adding nitric acid at the rate of 10 mL in each tube and covered the samples with a lid. After that, the digestion process was started using a microwave digestion instrument with appropriate programming, as mentioned by Ur Rahman [2]. The digested samples were removed from the microwave digestion instrument and put into the PTFE digestion cup. The PTFE digestion cup was placed at a hot plate of temperature 220 °C until a clear aliquot was obtained. Finally, 50 mL volumetric flasks were selected to transfer the digested fluid and attained the volume of samples up to 50 mL with double distilled water. Later, the diluted digested fluid was used to assess Cd concentration in root and shoot of wheat plants with the help of atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AA-6300 Shimadzu).

2.8. Statistical analysis

Treatment means of the obtained data were subjected to variance analysis (ANOVA) and least significant design (LSD) test to determine the significant differences between the means of treatments at 0.05 probabilities level by using a statistical package, Statistics version 8.1-computer software (Tallahassee, Florida, USA). The figures were drawn using GraphPad Prism version 8.00 for Windows (GraphPad Software, San Diego, California).

3. Results

3.1. Biomass production

The effect of different levels of pH and cadmium stress on wheat growth and biomass is shown in Fig 1. The data showed that different pH levels of the medium significantly affected the growth of wheat plants, with neutral pH being the most prominent for the growth and development of wheat plants. Both pH levels, rather than neutral, triggered a significant reduction in biomass, and therefore, these pH levels were assumed as stress in wheat seedlings.

[Figure omitted. See PDF.]

Fig 1. Effect of three different pH levels (5, 7, and 9) on growth parameters of cadmium (0, 20, 50, and 200)-stressed wheat plants.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798.g001

Among the three levels of tested pH, the maximum biomass was obtained at pH 7 (SDW = 19.02 g/plant, RDW = 1.71 g/plant), and minimum values of dry biomass and leaf area were observed at pH 5 (SDW = 13.47g/plant, RDW = 0.86 g), while the slight reduction was recorded at alkaline pH 9 (SDW = 15.38 g/plant, RDW = 1.19 g/plant). Moreover, further decline in plant biomass was recorded in the cadmium-treated plants with all three pH levels, but the maximum deterioration in plant biomass was recorded at pH5 + Cd200 μmol L-1 (4.04g DW). The recorded data showed that pH levels of the medium affect Cd toxicity, and the optimum pH to minimize adverse effects of Cd toxicity was observed at pH 7 as indicated in terms of increased growth and dry biomass. For all Cd levels (0, 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1), the dry shoot biomass at pH 7 was 41, 38, 36, and 134% higher than corresponding Cd levels at pH 5. Similarly, dry shoot biomass at pH 7 was 24, 16, 15, and 10% higher than the corresponding levels of Cd at pH 9. Additionally, leaf area for all Cd lev-els (0, 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at pH 7 was 30, 35, 27, and 71% higher as parallel to cor-responding levels of Cd at pH 5. Similarly, leaf area for all Cd levels (0, 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at pH 7 was 9, 20, 19, and 24% higher as parallel to corresponding levels of Cd at pH 9 (Fig 1).

3.2. Photosynthetic pigments

The effect of pH and cadmium on total chlorophyll (Chl a + Chl b) and carotenoids are shown in Fig 2. The recorded data showed that among the three levels of tested pH, the optimum pH for the amount of total chlorophyll and carotenoids was pH 7. Both pH levels rather than neutral caused a significant reduction in carotenoids and total chlorophyll contents, and therefore, these pH levels were assumed as stress. The highest amount of total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents in wheat crops were recorded at pH 7 (0.91 and 0.66 mg g-1 FW), and the lowest amount was recorded at pH 5 (0.61and 0.54 mg g-1 FW). The obtained data showed that Cd toxicity along with all levels of pH caused a significant (p<0.05) decline in total chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, but the maximum decline was noted at pH5 + Cd200 μmol L-1 (0.35 and 0.21 mg g-1 FW) among all other treatments.

[Figure omitted. See PDF.]

Fig 2. Effect of three different levels of pH (5, 7, and 9) on leaf photosynthetic pigments and carotenoids contents of cadmium (0, 20, 50, and 200)-stressed wheat plants.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798.g002

Results showed that the addition of Cd in neutral pH 7 did not cause any significant decline in these parameters (Fig 2). So, pH 7 was recorded as the optimum pH to minimize the negative effects of Cd toxicity on total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. For instance, the total chlorophyll contents for all Cd levels (0, 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at pH 7 were 28, 15, 21, and 20% higher in all corresponding levels of Cd at pH 5. Similarly, the total chlorophyll contents for all Cd levels (0, 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at pH 7 were 13, 6, 7, and 8% higher in all corresponding Cd levels at pH 9. Additionally, carotenoids contents for all levels of Cd (0, 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at pH 7 were 20%, 8%, 6%, and 69% higher in all corresponding levels of Cd at pH 5. Similarly, carotenoids contents for all levels of Cd (0, 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at pH 7 were 10, 2, 15, and 3% higher in all corresponding levels of Cd at pH 9 (Fig 2).

3.3. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants

The enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in wheat crops varied at different levels of pH (Fig 3). The recorded data showed that among all levels of tested pH, the contents of antioxidant enzymes CAT, SOD, and proline in both roots and leaves were maxi-mum at pH 5 and minimum at normal pH (7). The content of CAT was 56% and 79% higher in roots and leaves; the contents of SOD were 46% and 89% higher in root and leaves, and the proline contents were 63% and 188% higher at pH 5, respectively than that of normal pH (7) without Cd toxicity. At the same time, POD activity in roots and shoots showed a different trend. POD activity was highest at alkaline pH 9 and lowest at pH 7 than acidic pH (5) (Table 1). POD activities at pH 9 in roots and shoots were 17% and 12% higher than that of pH 5 and were 107% and 111% higher than that of pH 7. The recorded data showed that Cd toxicity significantly upgraded antioxidant activities along with the different levels of pH. The results showed that a medium with different pH levels affects the accumulation of Cd in wheat plants, and the optimum pH for the antioxidant activities was recorded at pH 5. All tested pH levels elevated antioxidants along with Cd toxicity, but the maximum elevation in CAT, SOD, and proline was recorded at pH 5. CAT activities were 49%, 48%, 100% and 49%, 78%, 78% higher, SOD activities were 68%, 85%, 100% and 129%, 121%, 142% higher, and proline activities were 162%, 126% 139% and 25%, 54% 70% higher in leaves and roots at pH 5 along with Cd (20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) than that of neutral pH with same levels of Cd. In contrast, POD contents with Cd stress were highest at a alkaline pH (9) rather than acidic pH (Table 1). The same trend was observed at pH 9 with all Cd levels compared to pH 9 + Cd (0, 20, 50 200 μmol L-1) compared to pH 7 (Fig 3).

[Figure omitted. See PDF.]

Fig 3. Effect of three different levels of pH (5, 7, and 9) on roots and shoots enzymatic (catalase; CAT, superoxide dismutase; SOD, and peroxidase; POD) and non-enzymatic (proline) contents of cadmium (0, 20, 50, and 200)-stressed wheat plants.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798.g003

[Figure omitted. See PDF.]

Table 1. Effect of pH and Cd on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) in shoot and root samples of the wheat plants grown under Cd-contaminated growth media with three different levels of pHs.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798.t001

3.4. Reactive oxygen species (H2O2) production, electrolytic leakage, and peroxidation of membrane lipids

Reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide; H2O2), electrolytic leakage (EL), and peroxidation of membrane lipids in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) in both parts (roots and leaves) of wheat crops were varied significantly (p<0.05) at different levels of pH (Fig 4).

[Figure omitted. See PDF.]

Fig 4. Effect of three different levels of pH (5, 7, and 9) on roots and shoots hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and electrolytic leakage (EL) contents of cadmium (0, 20, 50, and 200)-stressed wheat plants.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798.g004

The recorded data showed that among all tested pH levels, the activities of ROS in roots and leaves of wheat plants were highest at pH 5 and were lowest at pH 7. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents in roots and leaves were 16% and 65% higher, and electrolytic leakage (EL) contents were 7% higher in leaves at pH 9 as compared to neutral pH (7). Similarly, lipid peroxidation contents in terms of MDA in roots and leaves were 41.55% and 128.59% higher at pH 9 as compared to neutral pH (7). Although at low pH (5), H2O2 contents in roots and leaves were 57% and 87% higher, MDA contents in roots and leaves were 59% and 68% higher, and EL contents were 26% higher in leaves than that of neutral pH (7). The data showed that the ROS and lipid peroxidation contents were elevated at both acidic and alkaline pH (5 and 9), but the optimum pH was recorded at pH 5. The activities of H2O2 were 35% and 13% higher, and activities of MDA were 15% and 38.58% higher in roots and leaves at pH 5 than that of pH 9, respectively. At the same time, the EL contents in leaves were 18% higher at pH 5 than that of pH 9. Cd contamination into all levels of pH solutions caused a significant elevation in ROS. The optimum pH for the membrane permeability contents, osmotic stress contents, and membrane injury contents was recorded at pH 5. Both pH levels above 5 were accompanied by a significant reduction in ROS along with Cd toxicity. The maximum reduction in H2O2, EL, and MDA contents in shoot samples was recorded at pH 7, followed by pH 9, along with Cd toxicity. At Cd0, Cd20, Cd50 and Cd200, the MDA contents were 56%, 51%, 43%, and 45% higher in pH 5 and were 39%, 25%, 18%, and 17% higher at pH 9 as parallel to pH 7. At Cd0, Cd20, Cd50 and Cd200, H2O2 contents in shoot samples were 87%, 86%, 73%, and 69% higher in pH 5 and were 39%, 18%, 18%, and 21% higher at pH 9 as parallel to pH 7. Similarly, were 56%, 51%, 43%, and 45% higher in pH 5 and were 39%, 25%, 18%, and 17% higher at pH 9 as parallel to pH 7. At Cd0, Cd20, Cd50 and Cd200, EL contents in shoot samples were 44%, 74%, 106%, and 119% higher in pH 5 and were 23%, 36%, 59%, and 51% higher at pH 9 as parallel to pH 7.

3.5. Nutrient concentration

Nutrient concentration in wheat plants, both in roots and shoots, showed a variable response to various pH and Cd levels (Tables 1 and 2). The concentration of all measured essential nutrients was improved with the rise of pH from 5 to 7 and then decreased with the further rise of pH to 9. The optimum pH for N (shoots = 40.95, roots = 41.91 mg g-1), P (shoots = 4.54, roots = 6.01 mg g-1), K (shoots = 39.91, roots = 19.87 mg g-1), Ca (shoots = 20.68, roots = 19.87 g kg-1) and Mg (shoots = 2.85, roots = 1.30 g kg-1) was recorded at 7. While zinc (Zn) concentration followed the opposite trend, its concentration was improved with the decline of pH from 9 to 7 and then decreased from pH 7 to 5. The optimum pH for Zn (shoots = 40.44, roots = 58.06 mg kg-1) concentration was recorded at pH 7. The addition of Cd in different pH solutions caused a significant decrease in all essential nutrients, but the optimum pH along with Cd for the reduction of nutrients was recorded at pH 5. The recorded data showed an antagonistic effect of acidic pH and Cd on K+ and Zn concentration in roots and shoots. K+ and Zn concentration showed a strong negative correlation with Cd concentration. While neutral pH (7) significantly elevated K+ and Zn concentration in both roots and shoots of wheat seedlings by hindering Cd consumption. Alternatively, the effect of Cd on Ca and Mg was not highly significant as compared to Zn and K. While, the recorded data showed that Cd high concentration (200 μmol L-1) in the growing medium at all levels of pH caused a highly significant decline in all macro and microelements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Zn) concentrations, but the optimum pH for the reduction was recorded at pH 5. The reduction of N at pH 5 along with 200 μmol L-1 Cd was 44% and 5%, P was 52% and 61%, K was 66% and 62%, Ca was 60% and 50%, and Mg was 66% and 50%, in roots and shoots respectively more as compared to pH 7 (Control) along with 200 μmol L-1 Cd (Table 2).

[Figure omitted. See PDF.]

Table 2. Effect of pH and Cd on Cd, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg)), and zinc (Zn) contents in roots and shoots samples of the wheat plants grown under Cd-contaminated growth media with three different levels of pHs.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798.t002

3.6. Tissue-specific cadmium concentration

Significant differences in Cd accumulation in wheat seedlings were recorded within different treatments, as showed in Table 2. Cadmium concentration in all recorded parameters of wheat plants was varying with fluctuation of pH. The recorded data showed that, firstly, Cd accumulation was inversely related to pH when it rose from 5 to 7 and was directly related when it rises from 7 to 9 (Fig 3). Cd content at pH 5 along with Cd 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1 was 21%, 75%, 22% higher in roots and 19%, 117% 132% higher in shoots as parallel to pH (7) with corresponding Cd levels. Similarly, Cd concentration at pH 9 and Cd 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1 was 7%, 28%, and 16% higher in roots and 12%, 52%, and 34% higher in shoots parallel to pH 7 with corresponding Cd levels. The recorded data showed that acidic pH was optimum for Cd accumulation, while pH 7 significantly minimized Cd consumption in both roots and shoots of wheat. Cd contents at pH 7 along with Cd 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1 were 19%, 117%, and 132% lower in shoots and 21%, 75%, and 22% lower in roots as parallel to pH 5 with corresponding Cd levels (Table 2).

4. Discussion

Plants suffer various environmental stress under different agricultural systems. Among the multiple ecological stresses, heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) hinders plant growth and limits plant biomass and yield. Cadmium availability to the plants is extremely dependent on the pH of the growth medium [10, 40]. In the present study, for all Cd concentrations, extreme pH levels (5 and 9) were supportive for Cd uptake and subsequent accumulation in wheat plants, while neutral pH was hostile for Cd translocation (Table 2). Low, moderate, and high Cd concentrations (20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at acidic and alkaline pH (5 and 9) caused a significant decline in wheat plant growth (Fig 1), leaf area (Fig 1), chlorophyll contents (Fig 2), and essential macro and micronutrients (Tables 1 and 2). While it abundantly enhanced the concentration of non-enzymatic antioxidants (Fig 3), membrane injury measured as malondialdehyde (MDA) contents (Fig 4), oxidative stress measured as H2O2 contents (Fig 4), cellular membrane damage estimated as EL (Fig 4), enzymatic antioxidant activities (Fig 3), and Cd contents (Table 2). However, neutral pH (7) significantly reversed the toxicity of Cd in wheat seedlings by improving growth and leaf area, chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, macro, and micronutrients availability, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative defense systems activities, declining Cd contents, MDA, H2O2, and EL contents as compared to both acidic (5) and alkaline pH (9). These results are in line with former findings [10–12, 41, 42]. The recorded data demonstrated that both extreme pH levels rather than neutral caused a significant reduction in physiological traits, and thus, these pH levels were supposed as stress in wheat seedlings. The novelty in the present research was that three different levels of pH (5, 7, and 9) were assessed against varying standards of Cd, and the best results were obtained at pH 7 with and without Cd toxicity. For the wheat crop, neutral pH was optimum to counter Cd toxicity compared to acidic and alkaline pH (Fig 5).

[Figure omitted. See PDF.]

Fig 5. Correlation between the concentration of available Cd in the shoot (Cd-S) and root (Cd-R) and pH.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798.g005

The variation in the physiological and biochemical composition of the wheat crop was strongly correlated with many factors, including laboratory conditions and the growth medium nutrients [43], which reflect its reliance on normal environmental conditions, as revealed in the present study. The recorded data demonstrated that different pH levels of the growing medium significantly affected the growth and development of wheat (Figs 1–4, Tables 1 and 2). Although wheat can withstand a wide range of pH [44], a significant decline in growth was recorded at pH 5 and 9 without Cd toxicity (Fig 1). The maximum decrease in growth and development of wheat plants at both extreme pH levels (5 and 9) might be associated with the limitation of photosynthesis activity where no carbon dioxide was available for wheat metabolism. A similar conclusion was drawn in previous findings, where extreme pH levels inhibited carbon dioxide availability resulting in limited photosynthesis [45]. Photosynthesis is the basis of plant survival; therefore, chlorophyll contents have always been the focus of the researcher, especially under stress conditions [46]. In previous findings, the degree of damage to chlorophyll contents has been widely used as an indicator of stress intensity [46, 47]. In our findings, chlorophyll (Chl a and b) and carotenoid contents were the highest at neutral pH 7 with and without Cd toxicity, while both acidic and alkaline pH (5 and 9) significantly reduced these contents (Fig 2), which reflects both pH levels as stress for wheat plants. The deleterious effects of both extreme pH on photosynthesis were multiplied with the addition of Cd low, moderate, high concentrations (Fig 2). At high pH 9, decreased chlorophyll contents could be assumed due to the limited availability of free CO2 [48, 49]. CO2 deficiency at high pH also enhanced the free radicals or ROS levels in wheat crops (Table 2).

In the present study, the highest dry biomass and leaf area were noted at pH 7 under Cd toxicity, which supported the earlier finding that neutral to the slightly alkaline environment encountered heavy metal toxicity, especially Cd [50–52]. Our results showed that Cd uptake and utilization in wheat seedlings were declined with elevated soil pH from 5 to 7, while improved with further increase in pH from 7 to 9, which were in line with previous findings [53–55]. Cd bioavailability at lower pH (5) was high, which might be due to more release of Cd from adsorption sites, entering the nutrient solution, and consequently, greater mobility and increased availability to wheat plants (Fig 5 and Table 2). These results supported the previous conclusions where Cd accumulation was increased with the decrease of pH to the highly acidic level [53].

Our results showed that nutrient availability was significantly reduced at acidic and alkaline pH while improved at pH 7 in the roots and shoots of wheat seedlings (Tables 1 and 2). At acidic growth medium, availability of various nutrients like phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium (K) reduced due to the combined toxicities of H+ and Cd. It was consistent with the previous findings [56–58]. It is reported by George, Horst [59] that over 70% of acidic soils in tropical America are deficient in Ca and Mg and abundant in Al, while almost all soils are deficient in P or have a high P-fixation capacity. Similarly, ZHANG, Meng [60] reported that a highly acidic (pH 3.0) environment decreased the uptake and utilization of P. In our results, altering of pH from 5 to 7 increased uptake of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg while decreased Zn in roots and shoots of wheat crops, which was the in line with the previous findings [61]. The further severe decline in these nutrients in our study was recorded with all levels of Cd at acidic pH compared to neutral and alkaline pH (7 to 9) (Tables 1 and 2). Some other scientists also documented that levels of Ca, Mg, Mn, K, S, and Zn were lower at pH 3.8 than that of pH 5.5 in the roots and shoots of barley, chili, and wheat [62] and lower in Pinus pinaste at pH 3.5 and 4.5 than 5.5 and 6.5 [63]. In our results, essential nutrient availability in a alkaline growth medium (9) was also less as compared to neutral pH (7). It is documented in previous findings that the availability of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn decreased, while the availability of molybdenum (Mo) increased at alkaline pH [64].

Abiotic stresses such as that of heavy metal and pH hamper the antioxidative defense system through the overproduction of oxidants, which cause an oxidative burst in plants cells resulting in cell injury leading to cell death, and through peroxidation of membrane lipids by the intensive accumulation of MDA contents in plant cells [65–67]. In our findings, wheat plants exposed to low pH meaningfully enhanced the contents of H2O2, EL, and MDA in both roots and shoots, which might be due to excessive amounts of H+, which affects the detrimental oxidative process in the tissue [68, 69]. The accumulation of H2O2 in our finding was significantly high in roots of wheat plants at acidic pH (5) along with all levels of Cd, which could be one of the other reasons for the decline in root and shoot elongation [70]. Peroxidation of membrane lipids is widely indicated by the intensity of MDA contents in plants under oxidative stress [71, 72], which causes permeability leading to damage of membrane [72]. Additionally, an extensive amount of MDA contents usually stops functioning and the structural destruction of the plasma membrane [73]. In our study, MDA contents were high at lower pH (5) and were further elevated with Cd exposure. The highly significant elevation in MDA contents was recorded in 200 μmol L-1 Cd at acidic pH (5) in both roots and leaves of wheat plants (Fig 4). It is concluded that acidic pH with 20, 50, 100, and 200 μmol L-1 Cd causes severe membrane permeability and membrane damage, while neutral pH (7) with or without Cd reversed the negativity of abiotic stress by hindering Cd uptake and accumulation from nutrient solution to wheat plants.

The results of our study demonstrated that EL was higher at pH 5 and 9, where it imbalanced the production of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and ultimately damaged membrane structure [74]. In our study, the maximum rise in EL was recorded in 200 μmol L-1 Cd at acidic pH resulting in the severe destruction of membrane stability, as shown in Fig 4. However, at an alkaline pH (9), omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are relatively less damaged than acidic pH because of a significant decline in the value of EL [46]. Moreover, EL has been used to indicate the intensity of fatty acid damage in previous studies [75]. This damage of fatty acids in the membrane due to electrolytic leakage eventually destabilized the membrane. It is concluded from recorded results that neutral to alkaline pH (7 to 9) under Cd-induced oxidative stress plays a crucial role in stabilizing membranes by reducing EL values compared to acidic pH (5).

Plants have developed different antioxidant defense systems to minimize the over-production of oxidizing agents under adverse environmental conditions. Here, in the present study, the activities of enzymatic antioxidants like CAT, SOD, and POD were normal at neutral pH (Fig 3) with or without Cd toxicity. Alternatively, activities of these enzymatic antioxidants were significantly upgraded in acidic and alkaline pH (5 and 9) and were then further elevated with all levels of Cd concentrations. These results were in line with previous conclusions where enzymatic antioxidants were upregulated under various abiotic stresses, including heavy metal stress [25]. Plants can only survive under various oxidative stresses if SOD contents were regulated normally [22]. Generally, SOD enzymes reduced superoxide anions (O2-) into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) molecules. Subsequently, CAT and POD catalyzed H2O2 into water and oxygen molecules to regulate the hydrogen peroxide level inside the plant cells [76]. Mizobutsi, Finger (77) established peroxidase dependence on pH by measuring peroxidase activity under different pH levels. The authors recorded the maximum peroxidase activity at pH 6.5, while that of the minimum when the pH was shifted to highly acidic or alkaline pH. The decline of peroxidase at alkaline pH (9) without Cd toxicity might be due to its sensitivity to alkaline pH than neutral to acidic. The decreased POD production at high pH levels is reported in various previous studies [49, 77], where anti-oxidative machinery started to collapse or fail to perform usually at high pH levels (10.5 and 11). Moreover, in our study, herein, the higher activity of CAT at pH 9 might be due to the fact that cells depend on CAT more than peroxidase to detoxify H2O2. The same conclusion was drawn in previous studies where alkaline pH triggered the CAT activity with or without abiotic stress [78]. The stimulatory effects of these three antioxidant enzymes might have neutralized ROS production at pH 7 and resulted in high photosynthesis [79].

5. Conclusions

In conclusion, the Cd bioavailability at three levels of pH was increased with the decrease in pH from 7 to 5 and was further increased at a alkaline pH (9). The pH 7 (optimum level) alleviated Cd-induced toxicity, enhancing all measured parameters such as growth, dry biomass, macro, microelements availability, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents. Under abiotic stress, neutral pH (7) showed a varying response to ROS scavenging by activating the endogenous defense system of wheat plants. Under neutral pH (7), there was no significant impact of all Cd levels on wheat physiological traits and antioxidant enzyme systems. Therefore, neutral pH exhibited more tolerance to Cd-induced oxidative stress by reducing Cd bioavailability. All the measured parameters of ROS and antioxidant enzymes were significantly higher at acidic and alkaline pH with and without Cd toxicity; these pH levels were presumed to create stress in wheat plants.

Acknowledgments

We pay our sincere gratitude to the Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiange, China, for providing us the opportunity to conduct this research. Special thanks to Dr. M. Imtiaz for helping to remove grammar mistakes, to improve the overall English writeup, and reviewing the manuscript.

Citation: Ur Rahman S, Xuebin Q, Riaz L, Yasin G, Noor Shah A, Shahzad U, et al. (2021) The interactive effect of pH variation and cadmium stress on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth, physiological and biochemical parameters. PLoS ONE 16(7): e0253798. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253798

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