Chromium (Cr) is considered as one of the chronic pollutants that cause damage to all living forms, including plants. Various industries release an excessive amount of Cr into the environment. The increasing accumulation of Cr in agricultural land causes a significant decrease in the yield and quality of economically important crops. The Cr-induced biochemical, molecule, cytotoxic, genotoxic, and hormonal impairments cause the inhibition of plant growth and development.
1. Introduction
Chromium (Cr) is considered one of the major carcinogens, and is categorized 7th among the top 20 hazardous pollutants by the Environmental Protection Agency, United States of America (EPA, US)
[1][2][3]. Cr(VI) and Cr(III) are the most stable form of Cr in the environment. On the bases of bioavailability in soil and translocation to different plant parts, Cr(VI) is reported to be more toxic than Cr(III)
[3][4][5]. The industrial process coupled with anthropogenic and natural processes have resulted in increased accumulation of Cr in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
[3][4][6]. Chromium in soil and water directly affects human, animal, and plant physiology, and may accumulate within food chains, which can be a serious health threat to the secondary (herbivores) and tertiary (carnivores and omnivores) consumers
[3][7][8].
The first phenotypic and physiological change mediated by Cr in plants is seed germination, which is very important for the continuity of the plant life cycle
[9]. Endogenous and exogenous stimuli mediated genetic and epigenetic changes were reported to be involved in the regulation of seed germination, and plant biochemical, molecular and ultrastructural changes
[9][10][11]. Chromium-induced inhibition of seed germination in various plant species have been reported, and the germination rate depends on Cr(VI) concentration and type of plant species as shown in (
Table 1). Chromium stress affects the activities of both alpha and beta-amylase, which are the sources of energy provided to the emerging embryos. In summary, Cr reduces the activity of amylase, leading to the reduced sugar availability for energy production, and inhibits the rate of plant seed germination
[12].
Table 1. Chromium-induced seed germination inhibition in various plant species.
3. Chromium-Induced Modulation of the Root Growth and Development
The plant root is the first organ that encounters soil pollutants, Cr is one of the most important soil pollutants, which affects root growth and development
[11][21]. Chromium-induced reduction in the root growth mainly depends on the plant species, Cr-type and its concentration as shown in the (
Table 2) Chromium is also involved in the regulations of secondary root growth and number, lateral root development, root hair, and formation of adventitious roots
[12][22][23]. The reduced root length with a brownish appearance and reduced root hair number have been observed in
Zea mays, exposed to high Cr(VI) levels
[23]. The root growth inhibition mediated by Cr(VI), maybe due to the inhibition of cell division and reduction in the cell size of the elongation zone
[21]. The reductions of mitotic cell division in
Amaranthus viridis and
Arabidopsis thaliana, have been reported, which is associated with the reduction in cell cycle-related genes and alterations in the cellular ultrastructure
[3][21].
Table 2. Chromium-induced reduction in root growth as compared to control of various plant species.
The biomass production is considered proportional to yield, which is greatly compromised in the plants exposed to Cr, indicating that Cr is reducing plant biomass as well as the yield of the important crops worldwide
[29][30][31][32]. Numerous, species were investigated and reported to exhibit reduced biomass production under high Cr(VI) levels, and the toxicity varies based on the different plant species, and concentration and type of Cr(VI) used as shown in (
Table 3). Several factors such as reduction/imbalance in the uptake/translocation of water and nutrients, cell division and division rate inhibition, selective inorganic nutrient uptake inefficiency, increased ROS accumulation, essential nutrient substitution from ligand and plant key molecules, and Cr-induced ROS mediated alteration and damages to plastids, pigment contents, mitochondria, lipids, RNA, and DNA are involved in the Cr-decreased growth, development, and yield in plants at molecular, cellular, tissue, and organ levels are involved in the alteration in the plant biomass production
[3][29][30][31][33][34][35][36]. The degree of severity of these factors depends on the type of Cr and plant species
[3]. The hyper heavy metal accumulator plants such as
Brassica juncea and
Alyssum maritime are were reported to be potentially more tolerant and can survive a range of high Cr concentrations
[4][37].
Table 3. Chromium-meditated reduction in the total plant biomass as compared to control in various plant species.