Essential elements and toxic metals in some crops, medicinal plants, and trees

Abstract

Plants play an ever-increasing role not only for providing safe and healthy food for a growing world population but also for new biotechnologies including phytoremediation of areas contaminated by toxic metals, phytofortification used in functional foods preparation and nanoagrochemicals application in agriculture. Since species of genus Brassica are not only important crops but they have use for technical purposes, we evaluated these important crops from the aspect of nutrition or toxic metal responses. Medicinal plants are presented as a source of natural substances widely used in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries and potentially also in phytoremediation technology. Therefore, we analyzed the effect of bioelements and toxic metals on growth and physiological processes of this important group of the plants. Trees (both forest and fast growing trees) as one of the world's most abundant raw materials for industrial products and renewable energy as well as their non-production functions (reducing erosion, moderating the negative climatic changes, and phytoremediation procedures) are outlined. We have emphasized that plant responses to different nutrient and toxic metal conditions are expressed through structural composition and physiological processes. Results from experiments with above-mentioned plants treated with bioelements and toxic metals are shortly presented. Here, we used ion form of elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) and elements as complexes (Cu, Cd, Fe, Se, Zn). Finally, we stressed that both scientists and politicians will have to accept fundamental bioethical principles to ensure the sustainable development of human society as well as essential protection of the environment and nature.