ArticleBMC plant biology2026
Mechanistic insights into organic acid-mediated mitigation of nickel toxicity in maize (Zea mays L.) grown on mining-impacted soils.
Article in BMC plant biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundThe effects of oxalic acid, citric acid, and acetic acid (2.5 and 5 mmol) on nickel toxicity in maize (Zea mays L.) grown in nickel-contaminated soil from industrial and mining-affected sites were investigated in a pot experiment under controlled greenhouse conditions. While organic acids are commonly used as chelators to enhance metal uptake in phytoextraction strategies, this study demonstrates a contrasting mechanism: they reduced nickel bioavailability and uptake in maize, a non-hyperaccumulator crop, thereby promoting phytostabilization rather than phytoextraction. This distinction is important because it highlights the context-dependent role of organic acids and supports their safe application for crop production on moderately contaminated soils.
resultsHigh-dose oxalic acid (5 mmol) produced the strongest effects, significantly increasing growth parameters (shoot height + 43.7%, total biomass + 40%), with leaf area increasing 2.7-fold. Photosynthetic function was largely restored (photosynthetic rate + 78.8%, stomatal conductance + 79.6%), oxidative stress markers declined substantially (malondialdehyde - 56.5%, hydrogen peroxide - 51.4%), and antioxidant enzyme activities were enhanced (particularly ascorbate peroxidase + 82.8%). Shoot nickel accumulation decreased by 53.2% and the translocation factor by 30.2%, accompanied by reduced soil bioavailable nickel (- 27.9%) and pH, together with marked increases in available phosphorus (+ 99.6%) and microbial biomass carbon (+ 54.2%). Multivariate analyses (principal component analysis explaining 95.3% of total variation) confirmed strong positive associations among growth traits, antioxidant capacity, and improved soil quality under organic acid treatments.
conclusionsThese findings indicate that oxalic acid is a sustainable and cost-effective amendment for mitigating nickel toxicity in mining-impacted agroecosystems through rhizosphere chelation, pH modulation, reduced metal bioavailability, and enhanced antioxidant defense, thereby supporting both crop productivity and long-term soil remediation.
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