Investigation of the combined effects of cadmium chloride, silver nitrate, lead nitrate, methyl jasmonate, and salicylic acid on morphometric and biochemical characteristics of St. John's wort

Physiol Mol Biol Plants. 2023 Feb;29(2):173-184. doi: 10.1007/s12298-023-01281-0. Epub 2023 Feb 3.ABSTRACTHypericum perforatum L., is a sprawling, leafy herb that grows in open, disturbed areas, known as St. John's wort, has a variety of secondary metabolites that can be used for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. Heavy metals have become the most dangerous pollutants in the environment. The effect of cadmium chloride, lead nitrate, silver nitrate, methyl jasmonate, and salicylic acid was studied on several morphometric and biochemical features of St. John's wort simultaneously using the Taguchi statistical method. The results showed cadmium chloride and lead nitrate reduced the morphometric and biochemical properties of St. John's wort while salicylic acid compensated for the adverse effects of heavy metals. Simultaneously, use of salicylic acid and silver nitrate with cadmium chloride and lead nitrate reduced the toxic effects of these metals on morphometric properties. Methyl jasmonate improved growth characteristics at low levels and inhibited at higher levels. Also, according to the results, salicylic acid could reduce the effects of heavy metals on the biochemical properties, while silver nitrate acts like heavy metals, especially at higher levels. Salicylic acid reduced the harmful effects of these heavy metals and at all levels was able to create a better induction effect on St. John's wort. These elicitors mainly changed the adverse effects of heavy metals by streng...
Source: Mol Biol Cell - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Source Type: research