Cabbage grown in contaminated soils can accumulate high levels of arsenic (As) in the edible parts, posing serious health risks. The efficiency of As uptake varies drastically among cabbage cultivars, but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. We screened out low (HY, Hangyun 49) and high As accumulating cultivars (GD, Guangdongyizhihua) to comparatively study whether the As accumulation is associated with variations in root physiological properties. Root biomass and length, reactive oxygen species (ROS), protein content, root activity, and ultrastructure of root cells of cabbage under different levels of As stress (0 (control), 1, 5, or 15 mg L-1) were measured As results, at low concentration (1 mg L-1), compared to GD, HY reduced As uptake and ROS content, and increased shoot biomass. At a high concentration (15 mg L-1), the thickened root cell wall and higher protein content in HY reduced arsenic damage to root cell structure and increased shoot biomass compared to GD. In conclusion, our results highlight that higher protein content, higher root activity, and thickened root cell walls result in lower As accumulation properties of HY compared to GD.
Keywords: food safety; hydroponics; metalloid; root; soil contamination.