Melatonin treatment helps wheat plants fight off arsenic damage
Farhat F, Tariq A, Liaquat A, Maqsood MF, Javed A
Phytoremediation
Arsenic contamination in soil and groundwater is a widespread problem in agricultural regions, and this research points to a low-cost seedling treatment that could help farmers grow safer, healthier grain even when their land is compromised.
When wheat grows in arsenic-tainted soil, the plant's cells get damaged, growth slows, and the toxic metal builds up in the grain itself. Researchers found that spraying seedlings with melatonin, the same molecule that regulates sleep in humans, helps wheat plants ramp up their internal defense systems, protecting their cells and improving overall health even under arsenic stress. Some wheat varieties responded better than others, showing that breeding and treatment together could offer real solutions for farming in contaminated soils.
Key Findings
Arsenic stress (20 mg L⁻¹) increased grain arsenic accumulation, oxidative damage markers (MDA, H₂O₂), and electrolyte leakage while reducing biomass, chlorophyll, and photosynthesis
Melatonin at 150 µM was more effective than 75 µM, boosting antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase) and protective compounds like proline, glycine betaine, and phenolics
The wheat cultivar Anaj-17 showed the strongest natural resilience and best response to melatonin treatment, followed by Galaxy-13 and Nayab-11, revealing genetic variation in arsenic tolerance
chevron_right Technical Summary
Wheat exposed to arsenic-contaminated soil suffers stunted growth and cellular damage, but treating seedlings with melatonin significantly boosts their natural defenses and reduces arsenic buildup in the grain, offering a practical way to grow safer wheat in polluted soils.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Enhancing wheat resilience to arsenic toxicity by boosting antioxidant defense and secondary metabolite accumulation through melatonin.
Arsenic (As) contamination is a major environmental constraint that impairs wheat growth and productivity by disrupting cellular redox homeostasis, photosynthesis, and metabolic processes. Melatoni...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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