Cadmium effects on Lupinus albus L growth, phenolic compounds, and enzyme activities

Abstract

Abstract Cadmium (Cd) is had received particular attention not only as potent hazards to human health but also given their constant increase in the environment and bioaccumulation throughout the food chain. The aim of this work was to evaluate the response of the white lupine plant (Lupinus albus L.) to different cadmium concentrations. For this purpose, seedlings were exposed in nutrient solution to 0, 10, 20, 50,100 and 150 µM CdCl2 for 7 days. The obtained data demonstrated that, Lupinus albus L. was affected especially by high Cd2+ doses (100 and 150 µM Cd). Cadmium exposure mainly reduced plant growth parameters and photosynthetic activity. In addition, Cd generated nutritional deficiencies, toxic accumulation of ammonium and oxidative damage in plant. However, Lupinus albus L. could tolerate moderate the cadmium stress by the increase of cellular metabolites like soluble sugar and proline to avoid the ionic and osmotic effects of Cd2+. Furthermore, Cd2+ treatment increased the production of secondary metabolites in different plant organs, and also increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Besides its importance in food applications and health benefits, white lupin is proposed, as a candidate for cadmium phytostabilization of soil polluted by cadmium.