Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The peroxidase response of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Alligator Weed) and Nasturtium officinale (Watercress) to heavy metal exposure

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We examined the effects of copper and lead on the antioxidant enzyme response of Alternanthera philoxeroides and Nasturtium officinale using a benchtop luminometer. Alternanthera philoxeroides is a nonnative invasive plant species that has spread throughout the wetland ecosystem in the southern part of the USA. Its invasion is facilitated by its ability to thrive in a wide range of abiotic conditions. Nasturtium officinale is an aquatic plant that is sensitive to relatively low amounts of pollution and is most commonly found in springs and shallow bodies of water. While A. philoxeroides tolerates organic pollution and heavy metals, N. officinale exhibits stress at low levels of pollution. Alternanthera philoxeroides antioxidant enzyme production was unaffected by increasing concentrations of both copper and lead. The antioxidant enzyme response of N. officinale showed a significant increase when plants were exposed to 10 and 25 ppm lead. Endogenous peroxidase concentrations of the control plants were also compared showing that A. philoxeroides possessed a significantly higher concentration of peroxidases than N. officinale. We hypothesize that a higher endogenous peroxidase concentration may be a mechanism that hyperaccumulator plants use to tolerate inhospitable concentrations of copper and lead.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

All data is available in the main text.

References

  • Alvarado S, Guédez M, Lué-Merú M, Nelson G, Alvaro A, Jesús A, Gyula Z (2008) Arsenic removal from waters by bioremediation with aquatic plants Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and Lesser Duckweed (Lemna minor). Biores Technol 99:8436–8440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ansari Z, Sharma P (2017) A review on phytoremediation by Alternanthera philoxeroides. Int J Adv Res Sci Eng 6(1):750–760

    Google Scholar 

  • Beals C, Byl T (2014) Chemiluminescent examination of abiotic oxidative stress of watercress. Environ Toxicol 33(4):798–803. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.2484

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Byl T, Sutton H, Klaine S (1994) Evaluation of peroxidase as a biochemical indicator of toxic chemical exposure in the aquatic plant Hydrilla verticillata, Royle. Soc Environ Toxicol Chem 13(3):509–515

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandes J, Henriques F (1991) Biochemical, physiological, and structural effects of excess copper in plants. Bot Rev 57(3):246–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritioff A, Greger M (2005) Uptake and distribution of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb in an aquatic plant Potomogetan natans. Chemosphere 63:220–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu H, Hong Y (2008) Algal-bloom control by allelopathy of aquatic macrophytes. Front Environ Sci Eng 2(4):421–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-008-0070-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kara Y (2005) Bioaccumulation of Cu, Zn, and Ni from the wastewater by treated Nasturtium officinale. Int J Environ Sci Technol 2:63–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keskinkan O, Gosku MZL, Yuceer A, Basibuyuk M, Forster CF (2002) Heavy metal adsorption characteristics of a submerged aquatic plant (Myriophyluum spicatum). Process Biochem 39:179–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naqvi SM, Rizvi SA (2000) Accumulation of chromium and copper in three different soils and bioaccumulation in an aquatic plant, Alternanthera philoxeroides. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 65:55–61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pal S, Kundu R (2014) Study of metal resistance potential of the Cd, Cr tolerant Alligator Weed. J Stress Physiol Biochem 10(1):244–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Pylon-Smits E (2005) Phytoremediation. Annu Rev Plant Biol 56:15–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy CS, Raju VS (2008) Invasion of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Alligator weed) in wetlands. Sarovar Saurabh 3:2–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Song L, Wang Y (2014) Investigation of microbial community structure of a shallow lake after one season copper sulfate algaecide treatment. Microbiol Res 170:105–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micres.2014.08.008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang K, Awa S, Hadibarata T (2020) Phytoremediation of copper-contaminated water with Pistia stratiotes in surface and distilled water. Water Air Soil Pollut 231:573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020-04937-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Usman K, Abu-Dieyeh MH, Zouari N, Al-Ghouti MA (2020) Lead (Pb bioaccumulation and antioxidative responses in Tetraena qataranse. Sci Rep 10:17070. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-73621-z

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yeh TY, Chou CC, Pan CT (2009) Heavy metal removal within pilot-scale constructed wetlands receiving river water contaminated by confined swine operations. Desalination 249:368–373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yruela I (2005) Copper in plants. Braz J Plant Physiol 17(1):145–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zungbudda P, Boonsoong B, Chaichana R (2019) Lead contamination and bioaccumulation in a lotic ecosystem around an abandoned mining area of Khli Ti Creek Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. Appl Ecol Environ Res 17(2):3897–3908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zuo S, Ma Y, Shinobu I (2012) Differences in ecological and allelopathic traits among Alternanthera philoxeroides populations. Weed Biol Manag 12:123–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zuo S, Ye L, Mei H, Li M, Guo X (2012) Algicidal effects of Alternanthera philoxeroides mediated by the nutrient environment in a shallow eutrophic lake (Chaohu Lake, China). Int J Phys Sci 7(8):1307–1313

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zurayk R, Sukkariyah B, Baalbaki R (2001) Common hydrophytes as bioindicators of nickel, chromium and cadmium pollution. Water Air Soil Pollut 127:373–388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

University System of Georgia STEM IV grant (BOR STEM IV Initiative) provided partial financial support for student researcher stipends. The funding body had no role in study design, collection, analyses of data, and writing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, GA, 37193, USA

    Christopher Beals

  2. 141 Ropemaker Ln., Savannah, GA, 31410, USA

    Hannah King

  3. 1681 Chadwick Ln., Auburn, AL, 36832, USA

    Ginger Bailey

Authors
  1. Christopher Beals
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hannah King
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ginger Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study, conception, and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Christopher Beals, Hannah King, and Ginger Bailey. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Christopher Beals, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Acquisition of data: C. Beals, H. King, G. Bailey.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher Beals.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Gangrong Shi

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Beals, C., King, H. & Bailey, G. The peroxidase response of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Alligator Weed) and Nasturtium officinale (Watercress) to heavy metal exposure. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 59443–59448 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26697-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26697-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation