Effects of cadmium stress on phenolic composition and biological activities of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus Spenn., syn. Rosmarinus officinalis L.): LC-HRMS and in-silico insights
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Cadmium (Cd) contamination is a major environmental stressor that adversely affects plant physiology, yet it may also stimulate the production of valuable secondary metabolites; therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of Cd stress on phenolic composition and biological activities of rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis L.) Plants were exposed to Cd levels (0-100 mg kg⁻¹), and extracts were analyzed using LC-HRMS for phenolic profiling, alongside antioxidant (ABTS˙⁺, DPPH˙, FRAP), antibacterial, and antibiofilm assays, complemented by molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. The results revealed dose-dependent modulation of phenolic compounds, with rosmarinic acid as the predominant metabolite (peak relative intensity 23.283 at 20 mg kg⁻¹ Cd versus 22.679 in the control), while flavonoids such as luteolin, isorhamnetin, and diosmetin accumulated under specific Cd treatments. Antioxidant capacity showed assay-dependent variation, with ABTS˙⁺ activity increasing significantly at moderate Cd levels, whereas DPPH˙ and FRAP remained unchanged. Cd-treated extracts exhibited strain-specific antibacterial effects (minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC 256–2048 µg mL⁻¹), particularly against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus , and the highest antibiofilm activity was observed at the highest Cd concentration (mean inhibition 50.5% at 100 mg kg⁻¹ Cd, reaching 56.1% at 512 µg mL⁻¹). The flavonoids luteolin, diosmetin, and isorhamnetin, together with rosmarinic acid, were the major compounds associated with these antimicrobial and antioxidant responses. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations identified luteolin, isorhamnetin, and diosmetin as potential inhibitors of the LasR receptor and human peroxiredoxin 5, with luteolin showing the strongest binding affinity (docking score − 10.8 kcal mol⁻¹ against LasR; MM-PBSA ΔG binding = -19.78 kcal mol⁻¹). Overall, Cd stress acts as an abiotic elicitor, enhancing phenolic metabolism and associated bioactivities in rosemary.
Source: BMC Plant Biology
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,090
OpenAlex ID: W7202094062