Abstract
Silicon (Si) is a beneficial nutrient and is known for imparting resistance to many of the abiotic and biotic stresses in crop plants. A pot experiment was conducted in wire house to elucidate the effect of exogenous Si on growth, physiological, and biochemical activities in wheat at different phenological stages (seedling, vegetative, and maturity) under cadmium (Cd) stress. Surface sterilized seeds of Ujala-2016 wheat cultivar were sown in plastic pots. Foliar applied Si (3mM) inform of in the form of Si-NPs used in the present experiment under control (−Cd) and Cd stress (25mg/kg soil) conditions. Plants were harvested after 14 days of foliar spray at different phenological stages. The experimental treatments were arranged in completely randomized design with three replicates per treatment. Cadmium stress caused significant reduction in biomass production, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble protein (TSP), free amino acids (FAA), total soluble sugar (TSS), and phenolic contents, whereas increase of antioxidant enzymes activities such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), reducing sugar (RS), and proline contents as well as malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, and electrolyte leakage (EL) was recorded. Foliar application of Si-NPs significantly improved the growth, photosynthetic pigments, levels of flavonoids, TSP, phenolics, FAA, proline, TSS, activities of APX, CAT, POD, and SOD enzymes. The oxidative damage measured in the form of endogenous levels of H2O2 and MDA was reduced in plants treated with exogenous application of Si. Further, Si application increased mineral ions in controlled and Cd-stressed plants and significantly reduced the Cd uptake. In short, this study revealed that foliar spray of Si alleviates the adverse effect of Cd on wheat by enhancing growth, metabolite accumulation, strengthening antioxidant defense system, reducing oxidative injury, improving plant nutrient status, and decreasing the Cd uptake.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adhikari S, Ghosh S, Azahar I, Adhikari A, Shaw AK, Konar S, Roy S, Hossain Z (2018) Sulfate improves cadmium tolerance by limiting cadmium accumulation, modulation of sulfur metabolism and antioxidant defense system in maize. Environ Exp Bot 153:143–162
Adrees M, Ali S, Rizwan M, Rehman MZU, Ibrahim M, Abbas F, Farid M, Qayyum MF, Irshad MK (2015) Mechanisms of silicon-mediated alleviation of heavy metal toxicity in plants: a review. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 119:186–197
Ali S, Rizwan M, Noureen S, Anwar S, Ali B, Naveed M, Abdallah EF, Alqarawi AA, Ahmad P (2019) Combined use of biochar and zinc oxide nanoparticle foliar spray improved the plant growth and decreased the cadmium accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26(11):11288–11299
Anjum SA, Tanveer M, Hussain S, Ullah E, Wang L, Khan I, Samad RA, Tung SA, Anum M, Shahzad B (2016) Morpho-physiological growth and yield responses of two contrasting maize cultivars to cadmium exposure. CLEAN–Soil, Air, Water 44(1):29–36
Arnon D (1949) Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts, polyphenoloxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol 24:1–15
Ashfaque F, Inam A, Iqbal S, Sahay S (2017) Response of silicon on metal accumulation, photosynthetic inhibition and oxidative stress in chromium-induced mustard (Brassica juncea L.). S Afr J Bot 111:153–160
Ashraf U, Tang X (2017) Yield and quality responses, plant metabolism and metal distribution pattern in aromatic rice under lead (Pb) toxicity. Chemosphere 176:141–155
Bates LS, Waldren RP, Teare ID (1973) Rapid determination of free Pro for water stress studies. Plant Soil 39:205–217
Bhat JA, Shivaraj SM, Singh P, Navadagi DB, Tripathi DK, Dash PK, Solanke AU, Sonah H, Deshmukh R (2019) Role of silicon in mitigation of heavy metal stresses in crop plants. Plants 8(3):71
Boussama N, Ouariti O, Suzuki A, Ghorbal MH (1999) Cd-stress on nitrogen assimilation. J Plant Physiol 155(3):310–317
Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254
Chance B, Maehly AC (1955) Assay of catalase and peroxidase. Methods Enzymol 2:764–775
Chaudhary S, Sharma YK (2009) Interactive studies of potassium and copper with cadmium on seed germination and early seedling growth in maize (Zea mays L.). J Environ Biol 30:427–432
Cui Y, Wang Q (2018) Physiological responses of maize to elemental sulphur and cadmium stress. Plant Soil Environ 52:523–529
Cui W, Gao C, Fang P, Lin G, Shen W (2013) Alleviation of cadmium toxicity in Medicago sativa by hydrogen-rich water. J Hazard Mater 260:715–724
Cui J, Liu T, Li F, Yi J, Liu C, Yu H (2017) Silica nanoparticles alleviate cadmium toxicity in rice cells: mechanisms and size effects. Environ Pollut 228:363–369
Dan-Yang Q, Wan-Rong G, Li-Jie L, Jing L, Cai-Feng L, Shi W (2018) Regulation of chitosan on the ascorbate-glutathione cycle in Zea mays seedling leaves under cadmium stress. Plant Sci J 2:17
Dionisio-Sese ML, Tobita S (1998) Antioxidant responses of rice seedlings to salinity stress. Plant Sci 135(1):1–9
Dixit V, Pandey V, SHYAM R (2001) Differential antioxidative responses to cadmium in roots and leaves of pea (Pisum sativum). J Exp Biol 52:1101–1109
Farooq MA, Ali S, Hameed A, Ishaque W, Mahmood K, Iqbal Z (2013) Alleviation of cadmium toxicity by silicon is related to elevated photosynthesis, antioxidant enzymes; suppressed cadmium uptake and oxidative stress in cotton. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 96:242–249
Fatemi H, Pour BE, Rizwan M (2020) Isolation and characterization of lead (Pb) resistant microbes and their combined use with silicon nanoparticles improved the growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant capacity of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) under Pb stress. Environ Pollut 266:114982
Fattahi B, Arzani K, Souri MK, Barzegar M (2019) Effects of cadmium and lead on seed germination, morphological traits, and essential oil composition of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Ind Crop Prod 138:111584
Giannopolitis CN, Ries SK (1977) Superoxide dismutases: I. Occurrence in higher plants. Plant Physiol 59(2):309–314
Gocke M, Liang W, Sommer M, Kuzyakov Y (2013) Silicon uptake by wheat: effects of Si pools and pH. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 176(4):551–560
Gomes MP, Soares AM (2013) Cadmium effects on mineral nutrition of the Cd-hyper accumulator Pfaffia glomerata. Biologia 68(2):223–230
Gong X, Huang D, Liu Y, Zeng G, Wang R, Xu P, Zhang C, Cheng M, Xue W, Chen S (2019) Roles of multiwall carbon nanotubes in phytoremediation: cadmium uptake and oxidative burst in Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. Environ Sci-Nano 6(3):851–862
Gowayed S (2017) Impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles on germination and antioxidant system of maize (Zea mays L.) seedling under cadmium stress. J Plant Product Sci 6:1–11
Haghighi M, Pessarakli M (2013) Influence of silicon and nano-silicon on salinity tolerance of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at early growth stage. Sci Hortic 161:111–117
Hamilton PB, Van Slyke DD (1943) Amino acid determination with ninhydrin. J Biol Chem 150:231–233
Hasanuzzaman M, Nahar K, Anee TI, Khan MIR, Fujita M (2018) Silicon-mediated regulation of antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems confers drought stress tolerance in Brassica napus L. S Afr J Bot 115:50–57
Hemachandra CK, Pathiratne A (2015) Assessing toxicity of copper, cadmium and chromium levels relevant to discharge limits of industrial effluents into inland surface waters using common onion, Allium cepa bioassay. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 94:199–203
Hodges DM, DeLong JM, Forney CF, Prange RK (1999) Improving the thiobarbituric acid-reactive-substances assay for estimating lipid peroxidation in plant tissues containing anthocyanin and other interfering compounds. Planta 207(4):604–611
Howladar SM, Al-Robai SA, Al-Zahrani FS, Howladar MM, Aldhebiani AY (2018) Silicon and its application method effects on modulation of cadmium stress responses in Triticum aestivum (L.) through improving the antioxidative defense system and polyamine gene expression. J Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 159:143–152
Hussain I, Akhtar S, Ashraf MA, Rasheed R, Siddiqi EH, Ibrahim M (2013) Response of maize seedlings to cadmium application after different time intervals. ISRN Agronomy 2013:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/169610
Hussain I, Ashraf MA, Rasheed R, Asghar A, Sajid MA, Iqbal M (2015) Exogenous application of silicon at the boot stage decreases accumulation of cadmium in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains. Braz J Bot 38(2):223–234
Imtiaz M, Ashraf M, Rizwan MS, Nawaz MA, Rizwan M, Mehmood S, Yousaf B, Yuan Y, Mumtaz MA, Ditta A, Ali M, Mahmood S, Tu S (2018) Vanadium toxicity in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in red soil: effects on cell death, ROS and antioxidative systems. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 158:139–144
Ismael MA, Elyamine AM, Moussa MG, Cai M, Zhao X, Hu C (2019) Cadmium in plants: uptake, toxicity, and its interactions with selenium fertilizers. Metallomics 11(2):255–277
Jiao W, Chen W, Chang AC, Page AL (2012) Environmental risks of trace elements associated with long-term phosphate fertilizers applications: a review. Environ Pollut 168:44e53
Julkenen-Titto R (1985) Phenolic constituents in the leaves of northern willows: methods for the analysis of certain phenolics. J Agric Food Chem 33:213–217
Jullok N, Van Hooghten R, Luis P, Volodin A, Van Haesendonck C, Vermant J, Van der Bruggen B (2016) Effect of silica nanoparticles in mixed matrix membranes for pervaporation dehydration of acetic acid aqueous solution: plant-inspired dewatering systems. J Clean Prod 112:4879–4889
Kabir AH, Hossain MM, Khatun MA, Mandal A, Haider SA (2016) Role of silicon counteracting cadmium toxicity in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Front. Plant Sci 7:1117
Khan ZS, Rizwan M, Hafeez M, Ali S, Adrees M, Qayyum MF, Khalid S, Rehman MZU, Sarwar MA (2020) Effects of silicon nanoparticles on growth and physiology of wheat in cadmium contaminated soil under different soil moisture levels. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27(5):4958–4968
Kılıc S, Karaboyacı M, Sencan A, Kılıc M (2017) Ecotoxicological responses of morphological and physiological parameters of cadmium-stressed maize seeds. Bang J Bot 46(1):211–216
Kim YH, Khan AL, Waqas M, Shahzad R, Lee IJ (2016) Silicon-mediated mitigation of wounding stress acts by up-regulating the rice antioxidant system. Cereal Res Commun 44(1):111–121
Kim YH, Khan AL, Waqas M, Lee IJ (2017) Silicon regulates antioxidant activities of crop plants under abiotic-induced oxidative stress: a review. Front Plant Sci 8:510
Li S, Zhang G, Gao W, Zhao X, Deng C, Lu L (2015) Plant growth, development and change in GSH level in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) exposed to copper and lead. Arch Biolog Sci 67(2):385–396
Li P, Zhao CZ, Zhang YQ, Wang XM, Wang JF, Wang F, Bi YR (2017) Silicon enhances the tolerance of Poa annua to cadmium by inhibiting its absorption and oxidative stress. Biol Plant 61(4):741–750
Liang J, Feng C, Zeng G, Gao X, Zhong M, Li X, Li X, He X, Fang Y (2017) Spatial distribution and source identification of heavy metals in surface soils in a typical coal mine city. Lianyuan China Environ Pollut 225:681e690
Lichtenthaler HK (1987) Chlorophyll and carotenoids: pigments of photosynthetic biomembranes. In: Paker L, Douce R (eds) Methods in enzymology. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 350–382
Lukačová Z, Švubová R, Kohanová J, Lux A (2013) Silicon mitigates the Cd toxicity in maize in relation to cadmium translocation, cell distribution, antioxidant enzymes stimulation and enhanced endodermal apoplasmic barrier development. Plant Growth Regul 70(1):89–103
Manetas Y (2006) Why some leaves are anthocyanic and why most anthocyanic leaves are red? Flora 201(3):163–177
Mehmood S, Saeed DA, Rizwan M, Khan MN, Aziz O, Bashir S, Ibrahim M, Ditta A, Akmal M, Mumtaz MA, Ahmed W, Irshad S, Imtiaz M, Tu S, Shaheen A (2018a) Impact of different amendments on biochemical responses of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) plants grown in lead-cadmium contaminated soil. Plant Physiol Biochem 132:345–355
Mehmood S, Rizwan M, Bashir S, Ditta A, Aziz O, Yong LZ, Dai Z, Akmal M, Ahmed W, Adeel M, Imtiaz M, Tu S (2018b) Comparative effects of biochar, slag and ferrous–Mn ore on lead and cadmium immobilization in soil. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 100(2):286–292
Mehmood S, Saeed DA, Rizwan M, Khan MN, Aziz O, Bashir S, Ibrahim M, Ditta A, Akmal M, Mumtaz MA, Ahmed W, Irshad S, Imtiaz M, Tu S, Shaheen A (2018c) Impact of different amendments on biochemical responses of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) plants grown in lead-cadmium contaminated soil. Plant Physiol Biochem 132:345–355
Meng G, Tang T, Jing Z, Ying Z, Chen Y, Yang Y, Li Z (2016) Analysis on cadmium tolerance of different maize varieties during seed germination stage. Mol Plant Breed 14:3166–3171
Nakano Y, Asada K (1981) Hydrogen peroxide is scavenged by ascorbate-specific peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts. Plant Cell Physiol 22:867–880
Nelson N (1944) A photometric adaptation of the Somogyi method for the determination of glucose. J Biol Chem 153:375–380
Noreen S, Sultan M, Akhter MS, Shah KH, Ummara U, Manzoor H, Ulfat M, Alyemeni MN, Ahmad P (2021) Foliar fertigation of ascorbic acid and zinc improves growth, antioxidant enzyme activity and harvest index in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown under salt stress. Plant Physiol Biochem 158:244–254
Pérez AP, Eugenio NR (2018) Status of local soil contamination in Europe: revision of the indicator "progress in the management of contaminated sites in Europe", EUR 29124 EN. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg
Rahman SU, Xuebin Q, Yatao X, Ahmad MI, Shehzad M, Zain M (2020) Silicon and its application methods improve physiological traits and antioxidants in Triticum aestivum (L.) under cadmium stress. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 20:1110–1121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-020-00197-y
Rasheed R, Ashraf MA, Arshad A, Iqbal M, Hussain I (2020) Interactive effects of chitosan and cadmium on growth, secondary metabolism, oxidative defense, and element uptake in pea (Pisum sativum L.). Arab J Geosci 13(17):1–14
Rastogi A, Tripathi DK, Yadav S, Chauhan DK, Živčák M, Ghorbanpour M, El-Sheery NI, Brestic M (2019) Application of silicon nanoparticles in agriculture. Biotech 9(3):1–11
Rehman MZU, Khalid H, Akmal F, Ali S, Rizwan M, Qayyum MF, Iqbal M, Khalid MU, Azhar M (2017) Effect of limestone, lignite and biochar applied alone and combined on cadmium uptake in wheat and rice under rotation in an effluent irrigated field. Environ Pollut 227:560e568
Rizwan M, Ali S, Abbas T, Rehman MZU, Hannan F, Keller C, Al-Wabel MI, Ok YS (2016a) Cadmium minimization in wheat: a critical review. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 130:43–53
Rizwan M, Ali S, Adrees M, Rizvi H, Rehman MZU, Hannan F, Qayyum MF, Hafeez F, Ok YS (2016b) Cadmium stress in rice: toxic effects, tolerance mechanisms, and management: a critical review. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23(18):17859–17879
Rizwan M, Meunier JD, Davidian JC, Pokrovsky OS, Bovet N, Keller C (2016c) Silicon alleviates Cd stress of wheat seedlings (Triticum turgidum L. cv. Claudio) grown in hydroponics. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23(2):1414–1427
Rizwan M, Ali S, Rehman MZU, Malik S, Adrees M, Qayyum MF, Alamri SA, Alyemeni MN, Ahmad P (2019) Effect of foliar applications of silicon and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on growth, oxidative stress, and cadmium accumulation by rice (Oryza sativa). Acta Physiol Plant 41(3):1–12
Šamec D, Karalija E, Šola I, Vujčić Bok V, Salopek-Sondi B (2021) The role of polyphenols in abiotic stress response: the influence of molecular structure. Plants 10(1):118
Servin A, Elmer W, Mukherjee A, De la Torre-Roche R, Hamdi H, White JC, Bindraban P, Dimkpa C (2015) A review of the use of engineered nanomaterials to suppress plant disease and enhance crop yield. J Nanopart Res 17(2):1–21
Shafeeq-ur-Rahman XQ, Yatao X, Ahmad MI, Shehzad M, Zain M (2020) Silicon and its application methods improve physiological traits and antioxidants in Triticum aestivum (L.) under cadmium stress. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-020-00197-y
Shekari F, Abbasi A, Mustafavi SH (2017) Effect of silicon and selenium on enzymatic changes and productivity of dill in saline condition. J Saudi Soc Agric Sci 16(4):367–374
Shi X, Zhang C, Wang H, Zhang F (2005) Effect of Si on the distribution of Cd in rice seedlings. Plant Soil 272(1–2):53–60
Sohail MI, Ur Rehman MZ, Rizwan M, Yousaf B, Ali S, Ul Haq MA, Anayat A, Waris AA (2020) Efficiency of various silicon rich amendments on growth and cadmium accumulation in field grown cereals and health risk assessment. Chemosphere 244:125481
Strack D, Wray V (1989) Anthocyanins. In: Harborne JB (ed) Methods in plant biology Plant phenolics. Academic Press/Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, London, pp 325–356
Suzuki N, Rivero RM, Shulaev V, Blumwald E, Mittler R (2014) Abiotic and biotic stress combinations. New Phytol 203(1):32–43
Szabados L, Savouré A (2010) Proline: a multifunctional amino acid. Trends Plant Sci 15(2):89–97
Thind S, Hussain I, Ali S, Hussain S, Rasheed R, Ali B, Hussain HA (2020) Physiological and biochemical bases of foliar silicon-induced alleviation of cadmium toxicity in wheat. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 20(4):2714–2730
Torabi F, Majd A, Enteshari S (2015) The effect of silicon on alleviation of salt stress in borage (Borago officinalis L.). Soil Sci Plant Nutr 61(5):788–798
Treder W, Cieslinski G (2005) Effect of silicon application on cadmium uptake and distribution in strawberry plants grown on contaminated soils. J Plant Nutr 28(6):917–929
Tripathi P, Tripathi RD, Singh RP, Dwivedi S, Goutam D, Shri M, Trivedia PK, Chakrabarty D (2013) Silicon mediates arsenic tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) through lowering of arsenic uptake and improved antioxidant defence system. Ecol Eng 52:96–103
Tripathi DK, Singh VP, Prasad SM, Chauhan DK, Dubey NK (2015) Silicon nanoparticles (SiNp) alleviate chromium (VI) phytotoxicity in Pisum sativum (L.) seedlings. Plant Physiol Biochem 96:189–198
Velikova V, Yordanov I, Edreva A (2000) Oxidative stress and some antioxidant systems in acid rain-treated bean plants: protective role of exogenous polyamines. Plant Sci 151:59–66
Wahid A, Arshad M, Farooq M (2009) Cadmium phytotoxicity: responses, mechanisms and mitigation strategies. In: Lichtfouse E (ed) Advances in sustainable. Springer, New York, pp 371–340
Wan Y, Yu Y, Wang Q, Qiao Y, Li H (2016) Cadmium uptake dynamics and translocation in rice seedling: influence of different forms of selenium. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 133:127–134
Wang S, Wang F, Gao S (2015) Foliar application with nano-silicon alleviates Cd toxicity in rice seedlings. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22(4):2837–2845
Wang Y, Hu Y, Duan Y, Feng R, Gong H (2016) Silicon reduces long-term cadmium toxicities in potted garlic plants. Acta Physiol Plant 38(8):211
Wang P, Chen H, Kopittke PM, Zhao FJ (2019) Cadmium contamination in agricultural soils of China and the impact on food safety. Environ Pollut 249:1038e1048
Wu J, Mock HP, Giehl RF, Pitann B, Mühling KH (2019) Silicon decreases cadmium concentrations by modulating root endodermal suberin development in wheat plants. J Hazard Mater 364:581–590
Yang G, Rhodes D, Joly RJ (1996) Effect of high temperature on membrane stability and chlorophyll fluorescence in glycine betaine containing maize lines. Aust J Plant Physiol 23:431–443
Yang KY, Doxey S, McLean JE, Britt D, Watson A, Al Qassy D, Jacobson A, Anderson AJ (2018) Remodeling of root morphology by CuO and ZnO nanoparticles: effects on drought tolerance for plants colonized by a beneficial pseudomonad. Botany 96(3):175–186
Yemm EW, Willis AJ (1954) The estimation of carbohydrates in plant extracts by anthrone. Biochem J 57:508–514
Yizhu L, Imtiaz M, Ditta A, Rizwan MS, Ashraf M, Mehmood S, Aziz O, Mubeen F, Ali M, Elahi NN, Ijaz R, Lelel S, Shuang C, Tu S (2020) Response of growth, antioxidant enzymes and root exudates production towards As stress in Pteris vittata and in Astragalus sinicus colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27(2):2340–2352
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Haroun Chenchouni
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thind, S., Hussain, I., Rasheed, R. et al. Alleviation of cadmium stress by silicon nanoparticles during different phenological stages of Ujala wheat variety. Arab J Geosci 14, 1028 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07384-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07384-w