Effect of Arsenic on Nutritional Composition of Japanese Mustard Spinach: An Ill Effect of Arsenic on Nutritional Quality of a Green Leafy Vegetable

We tried to observe the effect of arsenic (As) on the concentration, accumulation and translocation of nutrient elements in a dicots plant Japanese Mustard spinach (JM-spinach; Brassica rapa L. var. pervirdis) grown hydroponically. The treatments of As were 0, 6.7, 33.5 and 67 µM from NaAsO 2 (equivalent to 0, 0.5, 2.5 and 5 µg mL -1 As, respectively) for 14 days. Fresh weight (FW) enhanced by 13.1% in shoot and 96.5% in root in the 6.7 µM As level, however, limited by the 33.5 and 67 µM As levels both in shoots and in roots. Our result indicated that little concentration of As had stimulating effect on JM-spinach FW, however, toxicity increased with increasing As in the medium. In shoot, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) concentrations were limited by the 67 µM As treatment. Similar to concentrations, accumulations of these elements together with copper (Cu) were also limited in shoots by the higher As concentrations. No doubt, As limited the nutritional quality of JM-spinach by hampering the concentrations and accumulations of nutrient elements in plant tissues. (Nature and Science 2010;8(8):186-194). (ISSN: 1545-0740).