Response of St John’s wort (Hypericum empetrifolium) plants to cadmium (Cd) treatment in relation to substrate acidity/alkalinity

Authors

  • Anastasia AKOUMIANAKI-IOANNIDOU Agricultural University of Athens, School of Plant Sciences, Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens (GR)
  • Alexandra SALTA Agricultural University of Athens, School of Plant Sciences, Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens (GR)
  • Pantelis E. BAROUCHAS University of Patras, Department of Agriculture, Laboratory of Soil Science, Theodoropoulou Terma, T.K. 27200, Amaliada (GR)
  • Nicholas K. MOUSTAKAS Agricultural University of Athens, School of Environment and Agricultural Engineering, Department of Natural Resources Development and Agricultural Engineering, Laboratory of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Iera Odos 75, 118 55, Athens (GR)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha49212321

Keywords:

Cd accumulation, heavy metals, medicinal plants, shoots, roots

Abstract

The effect of cadmium (Cd) on growth and Cd accumulation in shoots and roots St John’s wort (Hypericum empetrifolium) was studied over three months in a greenhouse. Plants were cultivated in pots containing a uniform mixture of either acid or alkaline substrate consisting of peat and perlite (1:1 v/v). The pots were arranged in a completely randomized block design within two groups (acid substrate and alkaline substrate) with four Cd treatments (0-control, 1, 2, and 5 mg Cd L-1) and six replicates per treatment. Cadmium was applied as CdSO4*8/3H2O. The total amount of Cd applied per pot was 260 ml, corresponding to 0.26, 0.52, and 1.3 mg Cd per pot for doses 1, 2, and 5 mg L-1, respectively. No visual symptoms of toxicity or nutrient deficiency, as well as no differences in plant height were observed in response to Cd application, irrespective of the growth stage or substrate. There were also no differences in height development rate between the plants grown in an acidic or alkaline substrate. Cd accumulation in shoots and roots increased with increasing concentrations of applied Cd and was higher in the acidic substrate. Thus, St John’s wort plant is a Cd accumulator, especially in an acidic environment, and this in combination with its high tolerance to Cd, makes it a suitable species to remove Cd from cadmium-contaminated sites. However, for its use in the preparation of medical products, St John’s wort must be grown in a Cd-free soil so as not to pose a risk to human health. Cd extraction by (DTPA-TEA) can be employed to predict Cd accumulation in this plant.

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Published

2021-05-17

How to Cite

AKOUMIANAKI-IOANNIDOU, A. ., SALTA, A. ., BAROUCHAS, P. E. ., & MOUSTAKAS, N. K. (2021). Response of St John’s wort (Hypericum empetrifolium) plants to cadmium (Cd) treatment in relation to substrate acidity/alkalinity. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 49(2), 12321. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha49212321

Issue

Vol. 49 No. 2 (2021)

Section

Research Articles
CITATION
DOI: 10.15835/nbha49212321

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Copyright (c) 2021 Anastasia AKOUMIANAKI-IOANNIDOU, Alexandra SALTA, Pantelis E. BAROUCHAS, Nicholas K. MOUSTAKAS

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