Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) contamination of agricultural soils poses a serious threat to crop productivity and food safety due to its high mobility, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity. This study investigated the effects of increasing Cd levels on growth performance, physiological responses, Cd partitioning, mineral nutrient disruption, and Cd accumulation in four Brassicaceae crops (cress, watercress, broccoli, and white cabbage). Plants were grown in plastic pots filled with 4 kg of soil under controlled greenhouse conditions and exposed to five different Cd concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, and 50 mg kg−1). Cd exposure significantly affected growth and physiological responses in a species-dependent manner. Compared to the control, shoot dry weight decreased by up to 66.4% in broccoli and 51.7% in cress at the highest Cd level, while white cabbage exhibited comparatively greater tolerance. Oxidative stress indicators showed contrasting patterns, with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increasing by up to 8.8-fold, whereas proline and membrane permeability (MP) responses varied among species. Photosynthetic pigments declined in cress but increased in broccoli under high Cd conditions, suggesting differential adaptive strategies. Cd accumulated predominantly in roots; however, root retention capacity declined at elevated Cd concentrations (20–50 mg kg−1 soil), leading to greater Cd translocation to shoots. Elevated translocation factors and shoot Cd distribution demonstrated that physiological tolerance did not necessarily limit Cd accumulation in edible tissues. Cd stress also induced notable imbalances in essential mineral nutrients, particularly potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn), reflecting strong Cd–nutrient interactions at uptake and transport levels. These nutrient disruptions not only exacerbated physiological stress responses but also reduced the nutritional quality of plant tissues. Notably, species maintaining relatively stable growth under moderate Cd exposure still accumulated substantial Cd concentrations in shoots, highlighting a critical disconnect between agronomic performance and food safety. In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that Brassicaceae crops exhibit contrasting strategies in response to Cd stress, with significant implications for Cd entry into the food chain. The study emphasizes the importance of integrating physiological assessment with metal partitioning and nutrient balance analyses when evaluating crop suitability for cultivation in Cd-contaminated soils and for mitigating potential risks to human health.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium reduced broccoli shoot dry weight by up to 66.4%.
- Taxon
- broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italicae0 - Treatment
- Cde0
- Outcome
- shoot dry weighte0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 66.4%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“shoot dry weight decreased by up to 66.4% in broccoli and 51.7% in cress at the highest Cd level”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium reduced cress shoot dry weight by up to 51.7%.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“shoot dry weight decreased by up to 66.4% in broccoli and 51.7% in cress at the highest Cd level”
Claim · model-written summary
White cabbage showed relatively greater cadmium tolerance.
Verbatim
e0“white cabbage exhibited comparatively greater tolerance.”
Claim · model-written summary
Hydrogen peroxide rose up to 8.8-fold under cadmium stress.
- Taxon
- Brassicaceae cropsBrassicaceaet0
- Treatment
- Cadmium Stresst0
- Outcome
- hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)e0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 8.8-folde0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) increasing by up to 8.8-fold, whereas proline and membrane permeability (MP) responses varied among species.”
t0“Brassicaceae Crops Exposed to Cadmium Stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Proline and membrane permeability responses to cadmium varied among species.
- Taxon
- Brassicaceae cropsBrassicaceaet0
- Treatment
- Cadmium Stresst0
- Outcome
- proline and membrane permeability (MP) responsese0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“proline and membrane permeability (MP) responses varied among species.”
t0“Brassicaceae Crops Exposed to Cadmium Stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Photosynthetic pigments declined in cress under high cadmium.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Photosynthetic pigments declined in cress but increased in broccoli under high Cd conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Photosynthetic pigments increased in broccoli under high cadmium.
- Taxon
- broccoliBrassica oleracea var. italicae0
- Treatment
- high Cd conditionse0
- Outcome
- Photosynthetic pigmentse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Photosynthetic pigments declined in cress but increased in broccoli under high Cd conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium accumulated mainly in roots.
- Taxon
- Brassicaceae cropsBrassicaceaet0
- Organ / stage
- rootse0
- Outcome
- Cd accumulated predominantly in rootse0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Cd accumulated predominantly in roots”
t0“Brassicaceae Crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Root cadmium retention declined at 20–50 mg kg−1 soil and shoot translocation increased.
- Taxon
- Brassicaceae cropsBrassicaceaet0
- Treatment
- elevated Cd concentrations (20–50 mg kg−1 soil)e0
- Outcome
- root retention capacitye0
- Direction
- declinede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“root retention capacity declined at elevated Cd concentrations (20–50 mg kg−1 soil), leading to greater Cd translocation to shoots.”
t0“Brassicaceae Crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium translocation to shoots increased at elevated soil cadmium.
- Taxon
- Brassicaceae cropsBrassicaceaet0
- Treatment
- elevated Cd concentrations (20–50 mg kg−1 soil)e0
- Outcome
- Cd translocation to shootse0
- Direction
- greatere0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“root retention capacity declined at elevated Cd concentrations (20–50 mg kg−1 soil), leading to greater Cd translocation to shoots.”
t0“Brassicaceae Crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Cadmium caused imbalances in potassium, calcium, and zinc.
- Taxon
- Brassicaceae cropsBrassicaceaet0
- Treatment
- Cd stresse0
- Outcome
- imbalances in essential mineral nutrients, particularly potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn)e0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Cd stress also induced notable imbalances in essential mineral nutrients, particularly potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn)”
t0“Brassicaceae Crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Nutrient disruption reduced nutritional quality of plant tissues.
- Taxon
- Brassicaceae cropsBrassicaceaet0
- Outcome
- nutritional quality of plant tissuese0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- nutrient disruptionse0
Verbatim
e0“These nutrient disruptions not only exacerbated physiological stress responses but also reduced the nutritional quality of plant tissues.”
t0“Brassicaceae Crops”
The same questions in other papers
cadmium atom · growth · Brassica oleracea (wild cabbage)Results differ
13 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- negative
12 papers more in this group
See all 16 papers →cadmium atom · physiology: photosynthesis · Brassica oleracea (wild cabbage)Positive and negative results
2 in the opposite direction
- negative
- negative
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.