10.57647/j.jrs.2025.1502.15

Comparative investigation of heavy metals in soil and fruit of medicinal plant Capparis spinosa L. (Case Study: Hashtgerd Region, Iran)

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  • Mina Rabie*1,
  • Sareh Mohammadi2,
  • Younes Asri3,
  • Gholamreza Bakhshi Khaniki2,
  1. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
  2. Department of Biology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
  3. Department of Botany, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

Received: 2023-08-08

Revised: 2024-05-19

Accepted: 2024-06-13

Published in Issue 2025-04-20

Copyright (c) -1 Mina Rabie, Sareh Mohammadi, Younes Asri, Gholamreza Bakhshi Khaniki (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Rabie, M., Mohammadi, S., Asri, Y., & Bakhshi Khaniki, G. (2025). Comparative investigation of heavy metals in soil and fruit of medicinal plant Capparis spinosa L. (Case Study: Hashtgerd Region, Iran). Journal of Rangeland Science, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.57647/j.jrs.2025.1502.15
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Abstract

Capparis spinosa L. has a variety of uses, including preventing soil erosion, land restoration, edible consumption, and medicinal benefits. The pollution caused by municipal waste and factory effluents can affect the growth and medicinal properties of this plant in nature. This study aimed to investigate the morphological traits and heavy metals of soil and fruit of C. spinosa in contaminated and uncontaminated natural habitats in Hashtgerd region, Alborz province, Iran in June 2020. For this purpose, stem length, leaf length and width, fruit length and width, coverage and number of rootstocks were measured in 10 random plots of 4 m2. Five samples of soil and fruit of C. spinosa were taken from the plots to measure the heavy metals contents (Fe, Cu, Ni, Mn, Zn, Cd and Pb). T-test analysis demonstrated significant differences between two contaminated and uncontaminated sites for the amounts of stem length, fruit length and width, leaf length and width, coverage and density of rootstocks (P < 0.01). The highest amounts of stem length (162.5 cm), leaf length and width (2.4 and 2.7 cm), fruit length and width (3.7 and 2.5 cm), coverage (17.1%) and density (219 plant/ha) were found in the uncontaminated site. There was the higher heavy metals content in the fruit as Zn > Fe > Mn > Pb > Cd > Cu > Ni and in the soil as Zn > Fe > Mn > Ni > Cu > Pb > Cd. The results of the T-test showed that there was a significant difference between the  amounts of Cu, Ni and Mn, Fe, Cd and Pb (P <0.01) and Zn (P < 0.05) in contaminated and uncontaminated sites. Based on the  btained results, it was suggested to cultivate this species in contaminated areas with heavy metals for phytoremediation and soil stabilization, and in uncontaminated areas, for medicinal, food and fodder purposes.

Keywords

  • Rangeland,
  • Industrial pollution,
  • Contaminated soils,
  • Toxic metals,
  • Phytoremediation
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