Scholarlink

<p>Water scarcity poses a major constraint on agricultural productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, necessitating the exploration of alternative irrigation sources such as household wastewater. While wastewater can provide essential nutrients, it also contains salts, heavy metals, and organic pollutants that impose oxidative stress on plants. This study investigated the dose-dependent effects of household wastewater on morphological, physiological, and phytochemical traits of <i>Curcuma longa</i> and <i>Elettaria cardamomum</i> under controlled pot conditions in Sialkot, Pakistan. Plants were irrigated with five treatments comprising 100% freshwater (control) and wastewater dilutions of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. Morphological parameters, chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) were quantified and analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD test. Results revealed that low-level wastewater (25%) enhanced growth, chlorophyll content, secondary metabolite accumulation, and antioxidant capacity, indicating hormetic activation of ROS-mediated defense pathways. In contrast, higher concentrations (50–100%) led to significant reductions in growth, photosynthetic pigments, and phytochemicals, with <i>E. cardamomum</i> showing greater sensitivity than <i>C. longa</i>. The study highlights species-specific tolerance mechanisms and suggests that carefully managed wastewater irrigation can optimize medicinal quality while mitigating toxicity, providing a framework for sustainable cultivation and further mechanistic investigations into ROS-mediated stress responses.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

From waste to resource: evaluating contaminated water as a dual-edged tool for crop growth and phytochemical enhancement

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月27日

查看全文
  • Mehmooda Munazir,
  • Zainab Bibi,
  • Rahmatullah Qureshi,
  • Iram Saba,
  • Tauseef Anwar,
  • Huma Qureshi,
  • Hossam S. El-Beltagi,
  • Ibrokhim Ismoilov,
  • Feruza Tukhtaboeva,
  • Nazih Y. Rebouh,
  • Maryam M. Alomran

摘要

Water scarcity poses a major constraint on agricultural productivity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, necessitating the exploration of alternative irrigation sources such as household wastewater. While wastewater can provide essential nutrients, it also contains salts, heavy metals, and organic pollutants that impose oxidative stress on plants. This study investigated the dose-dependent effects of household wastewater on morphological, physiological, and phytochemical traits of Curcuma longa and Elettaria cardamomum under controlled pot conditions in Sialkot, Pakistan. Plants were irrigated with five treatments comprising 100% freshwater (control) and wastewater dilutions of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. Morphological parameters, chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll, phenolic and flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) were quantified and analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD test. Results revealed that low-level wastewater (25%) enhanced growth, chlorophyll content, secondary metabolite accumulation, and antioxidant capacity, indicating hormetic activation of ROS-mediated defense pathways. In contrast, higher concentrations (50–100%) led to significant reductions in growth, photosynthetic pigments, and phytochemicals, with E. cardamomum showing greater sensitivity than C. longa. The study highlights species-specific tolerance mechanisms and suggests that carefully managed wastewater irrigation can optimize medicinal quality while mitigating toxicity, providing a framework for sustainable cultivation and further mechanistic investigations into ROS-mediated stress responses.