PubMed · 2026-05-15
Researchers tested how mustard and sorghum plants cope with increasingly contaminated soil from a mining site, measuring plant health, metal uptake, and stress responses. Mustard proved better at absorbing heavy metals like cadmium and zinc, while sorghum showed stronger defenses against oxidative damage.
Soil cadmium levels reached up to 3.3 mg/kg and zinc up to 1400 mg/kg DTPA-extractable concentrations across the pollution gradient
Brassica juncea (mustard) showed higher bioaccumulation of cadmium and zinc, confirming its stronger phytoremediation potential compared to sorghum
Both species activated biochemical stress defenses—including proline and phenolic compounds—but their strategies differed, with sorghum exhibiting greater tolerance through exclusion rather than accumulation
