Growth, Physiological, and Temperature Characteristics in Chinese Cabbage as Affected by Cd- Stressed Conditions and Identifying its Main Controlling Factors Using Pls Model

Abstract

Cd is a prevalent heavy metal in the environment. Chinese cabbage is widely planted and consumed as a popular vegetable in China. Therefore, studying the response of Chinese cabbage to Cd- stressed conditions is critical to assess whether cabbage can accumulate Cd and serve as an important Cd exposure pathway to human beings. In this study, we investigated the influence of Cd stress on growth, photosynthetic physiology, antioxidant enzyme activities, nutritional quality, anatomical structure, and canopy temperature in Chinese cabbage, through laboratory hydroponic experiments. A partial least squares (PLS) model was used to quantify the relationship between physical and chemical indicators with Cd accumulation in cabbage. Results showed that Cd stress significantly inhibited cabbage’s growth and development. When Cd stress was increased, the phenotypic indicators were significantly reduced. Meanwhile, Cd stress significantly enhanced the oxidative stress response of cabbage, such as CAT, SOD, POD, APX, and MDA activities in leaves. Such a change tended to increase fenestrated tissues’ thickness but decrease the thickness of leaf and spongy tissues. Moreover, Cd stress significantly increased soluble sugar, protein, and vitamin C contents in leaves as well as the temperature in the plant canopy. The PLS model analysis showed that the studied phenotypic and physicochemical indicators had good relationships with Cd accumulation in roots, shoots, and the whole plant of cabbage, with high R 2  values of 0.891, 0.811,and 0.845, and low relative percent deviation (RPD) values of 3.052, 2.317, and 2.557, respectively. Furthermore, through analyzing each parameter’s variable importance for projection (VIP) value, the SOD was identified as a key factor for indicating Cd accumulation in cabbage. Meanwhile, the effects of CAT on Cd accumulation in cabbage and the canopy mean temperature were also high. In conclusion, Cd stress has significant inhibitory effects and can cause damage cabbage’s growth and development.

Keywords: cadmium, Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.), Physiological traits, Canopy temperature, PLS model