title: Uptake of (14)C-atropine and/or its transformation products from soil by wheat (Triticum aestivum var Kronjet) and their translocation to shoots.
abstract: Plant uptake of toxins and their translocation to edible plant parts are important processes in the transfer of contaminants into the food chain. Atropine, a highly toxic muscarine receptor antagonist produced by Solanacea species, is found in all plant tissues and can enter the soil and hence be available for uptake by crops. The absorption of atropine and/or its transformation products from soil by wheat (Triticum aestivum var Kronjet) and its distribution to shoots was investigated by growing wheat in soil spiked with unlabeled or (14)C-labeled atropine. Radioactivity attributable to (14)C-atropine and its transformation products was measurable in plants sampled at 15 d after sowing (DAS) and thereafter until the end of experiment. The highest accumulation of (14)C-atropine and/or its transformation products by plants was detected in leaves (between 73 and 90% of the total accumulated) with lower amounts in stems, roots, and seeds (approximately 14%, 9%, and 3%, respectively). (14)C-Atropine and/or its transformation products were detected in soil leachate at 30, 60, and 90 DAS and were strongly adsorbed to soil, with 60% of the applied dose adsorbed at 30 DAS, plateauing at 70% from 60 DAS. Unlabeled atropine was detected in shoots 30 DAS at a concentration of 3.9 ± 0.1 μg kg(-1) (mean ± SD). The observed bioconcentration factor was 2.3 ± 0.04. The results suggest a potential risk of atropine toxicity to consumers.
authors.affiliation: Food and Environmental Protection Laboratory, FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratories, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria. z.jandric@iaea.org
authors.forename: Zora
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jandrić
authors.forename: Mohammad N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rathor
authors.forename: Sorivan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chhem-Kieth
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adu-Gyamfi
authors.forename: Leopold
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Resch
authors.forename: Souleymane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bado
authors.forename: Jaroslava
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Švarc-Gajić
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cannavan
mesh_terms: D001285:Atropine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001692:Biological Transport; D001711:Biotransformation; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000378:metabolism*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000378:metabolism; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014908:Triticum / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001285:Atropine