Effects of melatonin on cadmium accumulation in the accumulator plant Perilla frutescens

ABSTRACT

To enhance the phytoremediation ability of the heavy metal accumulator Perilla frutescens, melatonin (MT) was applied at different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 150, and 200 μmol/L) to P. frutescens growing in cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil (10 mg/kg). The MT treatments increased the root and shoot biomasses of P. frutescens, with the maximum increase in the 150 μmol/L MT treatment (79.51% and 36.18% higher, respectively, than those of the control). The MT treatments also enhanced superoxide dismutase activity, peroxidase activity, and the soluble protein concentration of P. frutescens, and 100–200 μmol/L MT increased the chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll concentrations in P. frutescens. The MT treatments increased the Cd concentrations in roots and shoots of P. frutescens in a dose-dependent manner. Different MT concentrations increased the Cd accumulation amounts of roots and shoots of P. frutescens, with the maxima accumulation amounts in the 150 μmol/L MT treatment (226.98% and 85.89% higher, respectively, than those of the control). These results show that MT can promote the growth and phytoremediation ability of P. frutescens growing in Cd-contaminated soil, and the optimum MT dose is 150 μmol/L.

KEYWORDS:

• Perilla frutescens
• melatonin
• cadmium
• growth

Acknowledgements

We thank Liwen Bianji, Edanz Group China (www.liwenbianji.cn/ac) for editing the English text of a draft of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Gang Xiang is an associate professor in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Lijin Lin is an associate researcher in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Ming’an Liao is a professor in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Yi Tang is an associate researcher in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Dong Liang is an associate researcher in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Hui Xia is an associate researcher in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Jin Wang is an associate researcher in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Xun Wang is an associate researcher in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Guochao Sun is an assistant researcher in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Huifen Zhang is a lecturer in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Yao Zou is a lecturer in Sichuan Agricultural University.

Wei Ren is an associate researcher in Neijiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

ORCID

Lijin Lin http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3650-8557