Ecological Responses of Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B. Clarke and Its Rhizosphere Microbiome in Zinc Mine Tailings: Insights for Post-Mining Restoration
- 1Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
- 2Plant Genome and Disease Research Unit, Department of Agriculture and Resources, Faculty of Natural Resources and Agro-Industry, Kasetsart University Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus, Sakon Nakhon 47000, Thailand
Abstract
Mining activities severely disrupt soil ecosystems through heavy metal contamination. This study evaluated the phytoremediation potential and rhizosphere microbial dynamics of Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B. Clarke (confirmed via rbcLa and trnH–psbA barcoding), a native plant from Thai zinc mines. Pot experiments demonstrated that plants grown in tailings-contaminated soil exhibited reduced growth and distinct leaf reddening, accompanied by significantly elevated anthocyanin levels. Conversely, proline levels decreased, whereas chlorophyll content and antioxidant parameters (total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA)) changed only slightly. Based on zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) uptake and translocation profiles, growth characteristics, and physiology, C. arachnoidea was classified as a highly Zn-tolerant phytostabilizer and a high-translocating Cd excluder. Furthermore, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and culture-dependent analyses demonstrated that metal toxicity reduced bacterial alpha diversity but selectively enriched stress-tolerant taxa—such as Sphingomonas, Bacillus, Bacteroidota, and Chloroflexi—compared with the nutrient-cycling Acidobacteriota that dominated the cover soil. Collectively, its physiological adaptability, capacity for Zn phytostabilization, effective Cd exclusion strategy, and association with a stress-resilient microbiome make C. arachnoidea a promising candidate for the ecological restoration of multi-metal-contaminated sites.
Related
- RestoreGut - restoration of the gut microbiome after birth by caesarean section: study protocol for a double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
- A prescription-computable pharmaco-ecological exposure score for predicted drug-induced gut-microbiome disturbance and its association with heart failure in chronic kidney disease
- Ecological drivers of the colon cancer microbiome: evidence for niche-based selection over stochastic colonization.
- Gut microbiome-shaped chemotherapy responses across cancer types: mechanisms of resistance, biomarkers, and targeted interventions
- Isolation to purification: An integrated study on lysine production by Bacillus megaterium NTJT4 from medicinal plant rhizosphere
BibTeX
@article{kutrasaeng2026ecological,
title = {{Ecological Responses of Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B. Clarke and Its Rhizosphere Microbiome in Zinc Mine Tailings: Insights for Post-Mining Restoration}},
author = {Nichanun Kutrasaeng and Praphat Kawicha and Aphidech Sangdee and Woranan Nakbanpote},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27219684},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9684},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ecological Responses of Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B. Clarke and Its Rhizosphere Microbiome in Zinc Mine Tailings: Insights for Post-Mining Restoration
AU - Nichanun Kutrasaeng
AU - Praphat Kawicha
AU - Aphidech Sangdee
AU - Woranan Nakbanpote
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27219684
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9684
AB - Mining activities severely disrupt soil ecosystems through heavy metal contamination. This study evaluated the phytoremediation potential and rhizosphere microbial dynamics of Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B. Clarke (confirmed via rbcLa and trnH–psbA barcoding), a native plant from Thai zinc mines. Pot experiments demonstrated that plants grown in tailings-contaminated soil exhibited reduced growth and distinct leaf reddening, accompanied by significantly elevated anthocyanin levels. Conversely, proline levels decreased, whereas chlorophyll content and antioxidant parameters (total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA)) changed only slightly. Based on zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) uptake and translocation profiles, growth characteristics, and physiology, C. arachnoidea was classified as a highly Zn-tolerant phytostabilizer and a high-translocating Cd excluder. Furthermore, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and culture-dependent analyses demonstrated that metal toxicity reduced bacterial alpha diversity but selectively enriched stress-tolerant taxa—such as Sphingomonas, Bacillus, Bacteroidota, and Chloroflexi—compared with the nutrient-cycling Acidobacteriota that dominated the cover soil. Collectively, its physiological adaptability, capacity for Zn phytostabilization, effective Cd exclusion strategy, and association with a stress-resilient microbiome make C. arachnoidea a promising candidate for the ecological restoration of multi-metal-contaminated sites.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -