AI Article Synopsis

  • The study explored how cadmium levels and mycorrhizal fungi influence fatty acid concentrations in flax seeds.
  • When mycorrhizal fungi were present, flax seeds showed increased levels of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly under high cadmium exposure (15 ppm).
  • The findings suggest that cadmium may enhance the conversion of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in seeds once it reaches a certain level.

Article Abstract

Background: The soil environment can affect not only the quantity of crops produced but also their nutritional quality. We examined the combined effects of below-ground cadmium (0, 5, and 15 ppm) and mycorrhizal fungi (presence and absence) on the concentration of five major fatty acids within flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum).

Results: Plants grown with mycorrhizal fungi produced seeds that contained higher concentrations of unsaturated (18:1, 18:2 and 18:3), but not saturated (16:0 and 18:0) fatty acids. The effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids in seeds were most pronounced when plant roots were exposed to 15 ppm Cd (i.e. the concentrations of 18:1, 18:2 and 18:3 increased by 169%, 370% and 150%, respectively).

Conclusions: The pronounced effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the concentration of unsaturated fatty acids at 15 ppm Cd may have been due to the presence of elevated levels of Cd within seeds. Our results suggest that, once the concentration of cadmium within seeds reaches a certain threshold, this heavy metal may improve the efficiency of enzymes that convert saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.6986DOI Listing

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