TITLE:
Cadmium Toxicity in Plants and Role of Mineral Nutrients in Its Alleviation
AUTHORS:
Rahat Nazar, Noushina Iqbal, Asim Masood, M. Iqbal R. Khan, Shabina Syeed, Nafees A. Khan
KEYWORDS:
Antioxidant Enzymes; Cadmium Toxicity; Mineral Nutrition; Oxidative Stress
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.3 No.10,
November
1,
2012
ABSTRACT: Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that enters the environment through various anthropogenic sources, and inhibits plant growth and development. Cadmium toxicity may result from disturbance in plant metabolism as a consequence of disturbance in the uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients. Plant nutrients and Cd compete for the same transporters and, therefore, presence of Cd results in mineral nutrients deficiency. The optimization of mineral nutrients under Cd stress could reduce Cd toxicity by greater availability at the transport site resulting in reduced accumulation of Cd, and could also alleviate Cd-induced toxic effects by enhancing biochemical reactions and physiological processes in plants. In the present review the role of plant macro, micro and beneficial elements in alleviating Cd stress in crop plants is discussed.