Exogenously applied calcium alleviates cadmium toxicity in Matricaria chamomilla L. plants.

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants leads to serious disturbances of physiological processes, such as inhibition of chlorophyll synthesis, oxidative injury to the plant cells and water and nutrient uptake. Response of Matricaria chamomilla L. to calcium chloride (CaCl(2)) enrichment in growth medium for reducing Cd toxicity were studied in this study. Hydroponically cultured seedlings were treated with 0, 0.1, 1, and 5 mM CaCl(2), under 0, 120, and 180 μM CdCl(2) conditions, respectively. The study included measurements pertaining to physiological attributes such as growth parameters, Cd concentration and translocation, oxidative stress, and accumulation of phenolics. Addition of CaCl(2) to growth media decreased the Cd concentration, activity of antioxidant enzymes, and reactive oxygen species accumulation in the plants treated with different CdCl(2), but increased the growth parameters. Malondialdehyde and total phenolics in shoots and roots were not much affected when plants were treated only with different CaCl(2) levels, but it showed a rapid increase when the plants were exposed to 120 and 180 CdCl(2) levels. CaCl(2) amendment also ameliorated the CdCl(2)-induced stress by reducing oxidative injury. The beneficial effects of CaCl(2) in ameliorating CdCl(2) toxicity can be attributed to the Ca-induced reduction of Cd concentration, by reducing the cell-surface negativity and competing for Cd(2+) ion influx, activity enhancement of antioxidant enzymes, and biomass accumulation.