Vitamin Cocktail for Seeds Shields Rapeseed From Cadmium Damage

Researchers at the University of Peshawar in Pakistan report a simple way to protect rapeseed from cadmium damage: soaking seeds in a dual antioxidant mix of ascorbic acid and gallic acid before planting. The study, published in Plant Biosystems and led by Yumna Nayab and Nadeem Ahmad with colleagues including Muhammad Nafees, Sami Ullah and Rehman Ullah, tested single and combined “seed priming” treatments. Rapeseed seeds were primed with ascorbic acid at 2 and 4 millimolar, gallic acid at the same concentrations, and combinations at moderate levels, then exposed to cadmium at 30 or 60 micromolar. Cadmium alone reduced germination, photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant enzyme activity, but the combined moderate priming largely reversed the harm. Germination energy rose 85% versus cadmium-stressed plants, alongside recovery of other stress indicators.