Department of Environmental Health, Laboratory of Environmental Health, Santa Mônica Campus, Federal University of Uberlândia, Avenida João Naves de Ávila, 2121, 38, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 408-100, Brazil.
Institute of Genetics and Biochemistry, Department of Biotechnology, Umuarama Campus, Federal University of Uberlândia, Avenida Pará, 1720, 38, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 400-902, Brazil.
Environ Monit Assess. 2018 Apr 22;190(5):303. doi: 10.1007/s10661-018-6693-4.
Phyllanthus niruri is a plant that is used to prevent calcium oxalate crystallisation and to block the stone formation in urolithiasis. Contaminants in the environment can be readily taken up by medicinal plants due to their ability to absorb chemicals into their tissues. If contaminated plants are ingested, they have the potential to negatively affect human and environmental health. The aim of this study was to assess contamination in the soil and the medicinal plant P. niruri by cadmium (Cd) in ceramic industrial areas of Monte Carmelo, Brazil. Soil samples and plant samples (divided in root, shoot and leaves) were collected from a contaminated monitoring site and from a rural area (which was used as a reference site for comparative purposes). The Cd concentrations of the samples were analysed with an atomic absorption spectrometer. P. niruri was found to be sensitive to soil contamination by Cd that was attributed to ceramic industrial emissions. The results revealed that Cd bioaccumulation in the roots and shoots of P. niruri was associated with a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the concentration of active lignan compounds (phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin) in the leaves. The identification of high concentrations of Cd and active lignan compounds suggests a risk of contamination of the site and the risk of a high dose of Cd to people exposed at the site.
余甘子是一种植物，用于预防草酸钙结晶和阻止尿石症中的结石形成。由于药用植物具有吸收化学物质进入组织的能力，因此环境中的污染物很容易被其吸收。如果摄入受污染的植物，它们有可能对人类和环境健康产生负面影响。本研究旨在评估巴西蒙特卡梅尔陶瓷工业区土壤和药用植物余甘子中的镉 (Cd) 污染情况。从污染监测点和农村地区（用作比较目的的参考点）采集土壤样本和植物样本（分为根、茎和叶）。用原子吸收光谱仪分析样本中的 Cd 浓度。研究发现，余甘子对土壤中 Cd 的污染很敏感，这归因于陶瓷工业的排放。结果表明，P. niruri 根和茎中 Cd 的生物积累与叶中活性木质素化合物（叶 Phyllanthin 和 Hypophyllanthin）浓度的显著增加（p < 0.05）有关。高浓度 Cd 和活性木质素化合物的鉴定表明该地点受到污染的风险以及暴露在该地点的人摄入高剂量 Cd 的风险。
