Degradation of Carbendazim by Molecular Hydrogen on Leaf Models.

Tong Zhang,Yueqiao Wang,Wenbiao Shen,Zhushan Zhao,Sheng Xu

doi:10.3390/plants11050621

Abstract

Although molecular hydrogen can alleviate herbicide paraquat and Fusarium mycotoxins toxicity in plants and animals, whether or how molecular hydrogen influences pesticide residues in plants is not clear. Here, pot experiments in greenhouse revealed that degradation of carbendazim (a benzimidazole pesticide) in leaves could be positively stimulated by molecular hydrogen, either exogenously applied or with genetic manipulation. Pharmacological and genetic increased hydrogen gas could increase glutathione metabolism and thereafter carbendazim degradation, both of which were abolished by the removal of endogenous glutathione with its synthetic inhibitor, in both tomato and in transgenic Arabidopsis when overexpressing the hydrogenase 1 gene from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Importantly, the antifungal effect of carbendazim in tomato plants was not obviously altered regardless of molecular hydrogen addition. The contribution of glutathione-related detoxification mechanism achieved by molecular hydrogen was confirmed. Our results might not only illustrate a previously undescribed function of molecular hydrogen in plants, but also provide an environmental-friendly approach for the effective elimination or reduction of pesticides residues in crops when grown in pesticides-overused environmental conditions.

Highlights

Pesticides are indispensable for sustained food production [1]
We further suggest that CAR degradation might be controlled by genetic manipulation of endogenous H2 or exogenously applied with H2
Though molecular hydrogen could enhance the metabolism of CHT in plants [17], the adsorption characteristics between CHT and CAR were entirely different

Summary

Introduction

Pesticides are indispensable for sustained food production [1]. Excessive use of pesticides, including fungicides, could result in pesticide pollution of vegetables and environmental contamination. Fungicides can enter the human body and the food chain through foods, polluted air, and water. Human health is currently being threatened by the continued use of fungicides [2]. Carbendazim (CAR; methyl 1H-benzimidazol-2-ylcarbamate), a benzimidazole fungicide, is generally used in treatment and control of fungal diseases in vegetables, fruits, flowers, etc. Since β-tubulin is the target of CAR, its antifungal mechanism could be contributed to interfere with the formation of the spindle during the mitosis of pathogenic bacteria [4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion