Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39966549›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Minimization of cadmium toxicity and improvement in growth and biochemical attributes of spinach by using acidified biochar.

Laraib Sheikh, Nargis Naz, Sadaf Oranab, Uzma Younis, Abdullah A Alarfaj, Sulaiman Ali Alharbi, Mohammad Javed Ansari

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Ascorbic and citric acids mitigate cadmium stress and reduce metal accumulation in spinach grown in alkaline calcareous soil.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Laraib SheikhBotany Department, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan Campus, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
Nargis NazBotany Department, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
Sadaf OranabDeptartment of Bioscience and Technology, Emerson University, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan.
Uzma YounisBotany Department, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan Campus, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. uzma.younis@iub.edu.pk.
Abdullah A AlarfajDepartment of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P. O. Box.2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Sulaiman Ali AlharbiDepartment of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P. O. Box.2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad Javed AnsariDepartment of Botany, Hindu College Moradabad (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University Bareilly), Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cadmium stress significantly affects plant growth by disrupting essential physiological and biochemical functions. It slows nutrient intake, causing slowed development and decreased biomass. Cd also produces reactive oxygen species, causing oxidative stress, which harms cell components like lipids, proteins, and DNA. This lowers chlorophyll levels, making photosynthesis difficult and stunting development. Cd's toxicity affects hormone balance, enzyme activity, and cell structural integrity, leading to poor plant growth and decreased agricultural output. Acidified biochar (BC) can effectively overcome this problem. Biochar features high cation exchange capacity (CEC) and oxygen-containing functional groups may aid in the immobilization of heavy metals in soil via surface complexation and precipitation. Cd immobilization can be increased by treating biochar with acid, which exposes additional adsorption sites. It can significantly enhance plant growth by improving soil structure, encouraging water retention, and improving microbial activity as a slow-release nutrient. This study investigates the effects of combining BC as amendments to spinach, both with Cd and without stress. Four treatments (control, 0.45BC, 0.90BC, and 1.20BC) were applied using a completely randomized design in four replications. Results showed that 1.20BC treatment showed a significant increase in shoot fresh weight (86.21%), root fresh weight (96.20%), shoot dry weight (223.24%), root dry weight (42.38%), total soluble sugar (16.05%), total soluble protein (54.70%), compared to the 0BC under 20 mg Cd/kg soil contamination. Additionally, there were notable improvements in chlorophyll a (121.26%), chlorophyll b (10.91%), and total chlorophyll (32.12%) above the control in Cd stress, also showing the potential of 1.20BC. A significant increase in N, P, and K concentrations of shoot and root of spinach was also noted, which validated the effectiveness of 1.20BC over 0BC under cadmium stress. It is concluded that applying 1.20BC can potentially alleviate the Cd-induced stress in spinach.

Indexed as

CadmiumCharcoalSoil PollutantsSpinacia oleraceaBiomassChlorophyllPlant RootsSoilbiocharCadmiumCharcoalChlorophyllSoilSoil PollutantsActivated carbonChlorophyll contentsGrowth attributesHeavy metalNutrientsSpinach

Identifiers

PMID39966549
PMCPMC11836445

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.