Integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genes
Lead (Pb) is a common toxic metal that causes severe health and environmental problems. However, the defensive role and underlying mechanism of combined biochar (BC) and melatonin (MT) against Pb stress are still unclear. Therefore, to fill this gap, this study investigated the impacts of BC and MT...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1609825/full |
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| author | Tahir Abbas Khan Qitao Su Huang Guoqin Zhixuan Du Zhixuan Du Mehmood Ali Noor Tahani A. Y. Asseri Muhammad Umair Hassan |
| author_facet | Tahir Abbas Khan Qitao Su Huang Guoqin Zhixuan Du Zhixuan Du Mehmood Ali Noor Tahani A. Y. Asseri Muhammad Umair Hassan |
| author_sort | Tahir Abbas Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lead (Pb) is a common toxic metal that causes severe health and environmental problems. However, the defensive role and underlying mechanism of combined biochar (BC) and melatonin (MT) against Pb stress are still unclear. Therefore, to fill this gap, this study investigated the impacts of BC and MT on rice growing in Pb-polluted soil. This study included different treatments: control, Pb stress (300 mg kg−1), Pb stress (300 mg kg−1) + BC (2%), Pb stress (300 mg kg−1) + MT (30 µM), and Pb stress (300 mg kg−1) + BC (2%) + MT (30 µM). Pb reduced rice growth and yield by hindering photosynthetic pigments, relative water contents (RWCs), osmolyte synthesis, nutrient uptake, increase in oxidative markers, and Pb accumulation. Biochar and MT increased rice productivity by increasing chlorophyll synthesis, osmolytes, and nutrient uptake and decreasing Pb accumulation. The co-application of BC and MT decreased Pb accumulation in the roots (30.40%) and shoots (72.79%), the translocation factor (30.01%), the biological accumulation coefficient (20.17%), and the soil Pb concentration (59.02%). The co-application of BC and MT enhanced proline (39.65%), soluble protein (47.09%), ascorbate peroxidase (APX; 26.47%), catalase (CAT; 65.51%), peroxidase (POD; 89.56%), and superoxide dismutase (SOD; 65.53%) activities, which ensured better productivity. Additionally, the BC+MT application increased the expression of antioxidant defense genes (OsAPX, OsCAT, OsPOX, and OsSOD) and decreased the expression of metal transporter genes (OsHMA9 and OsNRAMP5), which protected the rice plants from damage caused by Pb toxicity. These results suggested that BC+MT could be a promising strategy to mitigate Pb toxicity and maintain sustainable and safer food production. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-085572a27d5d44db97204db7b0d4dbd5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-085572a27d5d44db97204db7b0d4dbd52025-08-20T03:28:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-07-011610.3389/fpls.2025.16098251609825Integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genesTahir Abbas Khan0Qitao Su1Huang Guoqin2Zhixuan Du3Zhixuan Du4Mehmood Ali Noor5Tahani A. Y. Asseri6Muhammad Umair Hassan7Research Center on Ecological Sciences, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, ChinaSchool of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Biological Invasion and Biosecurity, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, ChinaResearch Center on Ecological Sciences, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, ChinaSchool of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Biological Invasion and Biosecurity, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an, ChinaKey Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, ChinaResearch Center on Ecological Sciences, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, ChinaKing Khalid University, College of Science, Department of Biology, Abha, Saudi ArabiaResearch Center on Ecological Sciences, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, ChinaLead (Pb) is a common toxic metal that causes severe health and environmental problems. However, the defensive role and underlying mechanism of combined biochar (BC) and melatonin (MT) against Pb stress are still unclear. Therefore, to fill this gap, this study investigated the impacts of BC and MT on rice growing in Pb-polluted soil. This study included different treatments: control, Pb stress (300 mg kg−1), Pb stress (300 mg kg−1) + BC (2%), Pb stress (300 mg kg−1) + MT (30 µM), and Pb stress (300 mg kg−1) + BC (2%) + MT (30 µM). Pb reduced rice growth and yield by hindering photosynthetic pigments, relative water contents (RWCs), osmolyte synthesis, nutrient uptake, increase in oxidative markers, and Pb accumulation. Biochar and MT increased rice productivity by increasing chlorophyll synthesis, osmolytes, and nutrient uptake and decreasing Pb accumulation. The co-application of BC and MT decreased Pb accumulation in the roots (30.40%) and shoots (72.79%), the translocation factor (30.01%), the biological accumulation coefficient (20.17%), and the soil Pb concentration (59.02%). The co-application of BC and MT enhanced proline (39.65%), soluble protein (47.09%), ascorbate peroxidase (APX; 26.47%), catalase (CAT; 65.51%), peroxidase (POD; 89.56%), and superoxide dismutase (SOD; 65.53%) activities, which ensured better productivity. Additionally, the BC+MT application increased the expression of antioxidant defense genes (OsAPX, OsCAT, OsPOX, and OsSOD) and decreased the expression of metal transporter genes (OsHMA9 and OsNRAMP5), which protected the rice plants from damage caused by Pb toxicity. These results suggested that BC+MT could be a promising strategy to mitigate Pb toxicity and maintain sustainable and safer food production.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1609825/fullantioxidantsbiocharmelatoninmetal availabilitytranslocationyield |
| spellingShingle | Tahir Abbas Khan Qitao Su Huang Guoqin Zhixuan Du Zhixuan Du Mehmood Ali Noor Tahani A. Y. Asseri Muhammad Umair Hassan Integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genes Frontiers in Plant Science antioxidants biochar melatonin metal availability translocation yield |
| title | Integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genes |
| title_full | Integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genes |
| title_fullStr | Integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genes |
| title_short | Integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genes |
| title_sort | integrative biochar and melatonin application mitigates lead toxicity in rice by modulating antioxidant activities and iron plaque formation and downregulating the expression of metal uptake genes |
| topic | antioxidants biochar melatonin metal availability translocation yield |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1609825/full |
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