Potentially toxic element (PTE) contamination deteriorates agricultural land. This study explored the accumulation of excess PTEs (Cd, Pb, and Zn) in soils by shoots of herbaceous plants growing on alluvial sediments of an abandoned mining/smelting site near the Litavka River, Czech Republic, as a means of soil remediation. Determination of total Cd, Pb, and Zn, contents in soil and plant samples decomposed with HNO3 + HCl + HF, HNO3, and H2O2, respectively, were carried out by inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry. The soil Cd, Pb, and Zn contents in the studied site ranged from 40 to 65, 3183 to 3897, and 5108 to 6553 mg kg-1, respectively, indicating serious soil contamination compared to the limits allowed by the FAO/WHO and the Czech Republic. Slightly acidic soil reactions and negative correlations between the pH, C, and N supported the assumption of relative solubility, mobility, and accumulation of studied PTEs by herbaceous species. Shoot accumulation of Cd, Pb, and Zn varied in 22 of 23 species recording a Cd content above the permissible limit. The Zn content in all plants was above the WHO limit. Except for Arabidopsis halleri, with a bioaccumulation factor (BAFshoot) > 1 for Cd and Zn, Equisetum arvense recorded a comparatively higher Cd content (10.3-28 mg kg-1) than all other species. Silene vulgaris (Moench), Leucanthemum vulgare, E. arvense, Achillea millefolium, Carex sp., Dianthus deltoides, Campanula patula, Plantago lanceolata, and Rumex acetosa accumulated more Zn than many plants (> 300 mg kg-1). Although E. arvense had a BAF < 1, it accumulated > 1000 mg Zn kg-1 and supported the phytoextraction of Zn. Only 10 species accumulated Pb above the limit permissible in plants, with L. vulgare recording the highest concentration (40 mg kg-1) among all species. Therefore, the shoots of several plant species showed promising PTE accumulation abilities and deserve more detailed studies concerning their potential use for phytoremediation of Cd-, Pb-, or Zn-contaminated soils.

• Klíčová slova
• Equisetum arvense, Leucanthemum vulgare, Alluvial sediment, Phytoextraction, Phytoremediation, Shoot accumulation,
• MeSH
• biodegradace MeSH
• hornictví MeSH
• kadmium metabolismus   MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu * metabolismus   MeSH
• olovo metabolismus   MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• rostliny * metabolismus   MeSH
• zinek metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• kadmium MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu * MeSH
• olovo MeSH
• půda MeSH
• zinek MeSH

Numerous studies demonstrated that endophytic microbes can promote plant growth and increase plant stress resistance. We aimed at isolating poplar endophytes able to increase their hosts' fitness both in nutrient-limited and polluted environments. To achieve this goal, endophytic bacteria and fungi were isolated from roots and leaves of hybrid poplars (Populus nigra × P. maximowiczii clone Max-4) on an unpolluted and a risk element-polluted site in the Czech Republic and subsequently screened by a number of in vitro tests. Bacterial communities at the unpolluted site were dominated by Gammaproteobacteria with Pseudomonas sp. as the prominent member of the class, followed by Bacilli with prevailing Bacillus sp., whereas Alphaproteobacteria, mostly Rhizobium sp., prevailed at the polluted site. The fungal endophytic community was dominated by Ascomycetes and highly distinct on both sites. Dothideomycetes, mostly Cladosporium, prevailed at the non-polluted site while unclassified Sordariomycetous fungi dominated at the polluted site. Species diversity of endophytes was higher at the unpolluted site. Many tested endophytic strains solubilized phosphate and produced siderophores, phytohormones, and antioxidants. Some strains also exhibited ACC-deaminase activity. Selected bacteria showed high tolerance and the ability to accumulate risk elements, making them promising candidates for use in inocula promoting biomass production and phytoremediation. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

• Klíčová slova
• Endophytes, PGPB, Phytoremediation, Poplar, Risk elements, Sordariomycetes,
• MeSH
• antioxidancia metabolismus   MeSH
• Bacteria klasifikace   účinky léků   izolace a purifikace   metabolismus   MeSH
• biodegradace MeSH
• biodiverzita MeSH
• biomasa MeSH
• endofyty klasifikace   účinky léků   izolace a purifikace   metabolismus   MeSH
• fosfáty metabolismus   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• houby klasifikace   účinky léků   izolace a purifikace   metabolismus   MeSH
• kořeny rostlin mikrobiologie   MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí toxicita   MeSH
• listy rostlin mikrobiologie   MeSH
• lyasy štěpící vazby C-C metabolismus   MeSH
• mikrobiota účinky léků   fyziologie   MeSH
• Populus mikrobiologie   MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• půdní mikrobiologie * MeSH
• regulátory růstu rostlin metabolismus   MeSH
• siderofory metabolismus   MeSH
• techniky in vitro MeSH
• tolerance léku MeSH
• vývoj rostlin * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase MeSH Prohlížeč
• antioxidancia MeSH
• fosfáty MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí MeSH
• lyasy štěpící vazby C-C MeSH
• půda MeSH
• regulátory růstu rostlin MeSH
• siderofory MeSH

Heavy metal soil contamination from mining and smelting has been reported in several regions around the world, and phytoextraction, using plants to accumulate risk elements in aboveground harvestable organs, is a useful method of substantially reducing this contamination. In our 3-year experiment, we tested the hypothesis that phytoextraction can be successful in local soil conditions without external fertilizer input. The phytoextraction efficiency of 15 high-yielding crop species was assessed in a field experiment performed at the Litavka River alluvium in the Příbram region of Czechia. This area is heavily polluted by Cd, Zn, and Pb from smelter installations which also polluted the river water and flood sediments. Heavy metal concentrations were analyzed in the herbaceous plants' aboveground and belowground biomass and in woody plants' leaves and branches. The highest Cd and Zn mean concentrations in the aboveground biomass were recorded in Salix x fragilis L. (10.14 and 343 mg kg-1 in twigs and 16.74 and 1188 mg kg-1 in leaves, respectively). The heavy metal content in woody plants was significantly higher in leaves than in twigs. In addition, Malva verticillata L. had the highest Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations in herbaceous species (6.26, 12.44, and 207 mg kg-1, respectively). The calculated heavy metal removal capacities in this study proved high phytoextraction efficiency in woody species; especially for Salix × fragilis L. In other tested plants, Sorghum bicolor L., Helianthus tuberosus L., Miscanthus sinensis Andersson, and Phalaris arundinacea L. species are also recommended for phytoextraction.

• Klíčová slova
• Field trial, Heavy metals, Minimum inputs, Phytoextraction, Soil contamination,
• MeSH
• biodegradace MeSH
• kadmium MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu analýza   MeSH
• Malva MeSH
• olovo MeSH
• průmyslová hnojiva MeSH
• těžké kovy analýza   MeSH
• zemědělství MeSH
• zinek MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• kadmium MeSH
• látky znečišťující půdu MeSH
• olovo MeSH
• průmyslová hnojiva MeSH
• těžké kovy MeSH
• zinek MeSH

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity affects numerous metabolic processes in plants. In the presence of Cd, plants accumulate specific amino acids which may be beneficial to developing Cd tolerance. Our study aimed to characterize the changes in the metabolism of selected free amino acids that are associated with Cd tolerance, and investigate the levels of selected microelements in order to relate these changes to the adaptation strategies of two metallophytes-Noccaea caerulescens (Redlschlag, Austria) and Noccaea praecox (Mežica, Slovenia). The plants were exposed to Cd contamination (90 mg Cd/kg soil) for 120 days in a pot experiment. Our results showed higher Cd accumulation in N. praecox compared to N. caerulescens. Cadmium contamination reduced the zinc and nickel levels in both species and a mixed effect was determined for copper and manganese content. Differences in free amino acid metabolism were observed between the two metallophytes growing under Cd-free and Cd-loaded conditions. Under Cd-free conditions, aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine) and branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) were accumulated more in the leaves of N. praecox than in N. caerulescens. Cd stress increased the content of these amino acids in both species but this increase was significant only in N. caerulescens leaves. Marked differences in the responses of the two species to Cd stress were shown for alanine, phenylalanine, threonine and sarcosine. Cadmium contamination also induced an increase of threonine as alanine and sarcosine decrease, which was larger in N. caerulescens than in N. praecox. All these factors contribute to the higher adaptation of N. praecox to Cd stress.

• MeSH
• aminokyseliny metabolismus   MeSH
• Brassicaceae klasifikace   účinky léků   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• fyziologický stres účinky léků   MeSH
• kadmium toxicita   MeSH
• listy rostlin účinky léků   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• metabolické sítě a dráhy účinky léků   MeSH
• sarkosin metabolismus   MeSH
• stopové prvky metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• aminokyseliny MeSH
• kadmium MeSH
• sarkosin MeSH
• stopové prvky MeSH

The effects of plant-bound zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) on element uptake and their interactions in a parasite-host system were investigated in a model experiment. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (C, P, TC and TP). Groups TC and TP were infected with the rat tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta. Groups C and TC were fed a standard rodent mixture (ST-1) and received 10.5 mg of Zn per week, while groups P and TP were fed a mixture supplemented with the Zn- and Cd-hyperaccumulating plant Arabidopsis halleri at a dosage of 236 mg Zn/week and 3.0 mg Cd/week. Rats were euthanized after 6 weeks, and Cd and Zn levels were determined in rat and tapeworm tissue. The results indicate that tapeworm presence did have an effect on Cd and Zn concentrations in the host tissue; the majority of tissues in infected rats had statistically significant lower Zn and Cd concentrations than did uninfected rats. Tapeworms accumulated more zinc and cadmium than did the majority of host tissues. This important finding confirms the ability of tapeworms to accumulate certain elements (heavy metals) from the host body to their own body tissues. Thus, tapeworms can decrease heavy metal concentrations in host tissues.

• Klíčová slova
• Accumulate, Cadmium, Plant, Rat, Tapeworm, Zinc,
• MeSH
• Arabidopsis chemie   účinky léků   MeSH
• dieta MeSH
• Hymenolepis diminuta fyziologie   MeSH
• kadmium metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• potkani Wistar MeSH
• těžké kovy metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• zinek metabolismus   farmakologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• kadmium MeSH
• těžké kovy MeSH
• zinek MeSH