Alleviation of Cd-induced growth improvement by exogenous melatonin pre-treatment in Abutilon theophrasti Medicus

The present work was aimed to study the effect of melatonin pre-treatments on oxidative stress modulation, cadmium (Cd) accumulation, and tolerance in Abutilon theophrasti Medicus under the hydroponic system. Application of substances that can modulate the harmful effects of Cd on plant yield and reduce its accumulation in the edible parts is of particular importance. Therefore, the Abutilon pre-treated with 0.1mM melatonin were exposed to 200μM, 400μM, 800μM Cd. Our results showed that 0.1mM melatonin led to positive effects on 200μM and 400μM Cd tolerance, including a significant increase in root activity andperoxidase (POD) activity and a significant decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Withthe help of melatonin, the enrichment factor (BCF) significantly decreased, reducing the content in the ground and roots. At least in our experiment conditions, this information appears to be useful for healthy food production