ISSN print edition: 0366-6352
ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075
Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7

Published monthly

Phytoremediation and therapeutic potential of Mazari palm (Nannorrhops ritchiana) in heavy metal-contaminated environment

Zafar Ali, Farah Naz Talpur, Hassan Imran Afridi, Atif Hussain Mangi, Nazir Ahmed Brohi, and Habibullah Abbasi

National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh Jamshoro, Jamshoro, Pakistan

Received: 8 November 2024 Accepted: 27 May 2025

Abstract:

Heavy metal pollution poses a significant environmental threat, and understanding plant responses to such stress is crucial for advancing phytoremediation efforts. Mazari palm (Nannorrhop ritchiana) trees naturally grow in heavy metal-rich areas of Makran Balochistan, Pakistan, particularly in the Rocky Mountains range. This study investigated the exposure to heavy metals, including arsenic (As), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), and Mangnese (Mn) and its effects on the trees’ production of beneficial phytochemicals, their potential for phytoremediation and therapeutic application. Pollution load index and normalized difference vegetation index as indicators of environmental quality, revealed a concerning trend of increasing pollution and potential vegetation stress within the study area. Soil and leaf samples were collected in triplicate from six sites with varying levels of heavy metal-contaminated environment.The heavy metals in leaf samples were identified by using FESEM imaging, XRD spectra and concentrations in the soil and palm leaf samples were then determined by ICP-OES and EDX. The FTIR result of leaf powder revealed the presence of functional groups such as alcohol, phenol, alkanes, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and esters, associated with the identified phytochemicals in Mazari palm tree leaves across various sites (S-I to S-VI). Phytochemical screening identified a range of secondary metabolites including flavonoids, phenolic, and tannins (abundant in all samples), alkaloids and terpenoids (present in varying degrees), and cardiac glycosides, steroids, coumarin, and saponin (detected with site-specific variations). The analysis revealed varying levels of phenolic contents (656.2–1412.9 µg GAE/g) and flavonoids (558.12–1225.10 µgQE/g) in the leaf extract, exhibiting strong antioxidant properties. The results of antioxidant activity test using DPPH method, showed strong activity with IC50(µg/mL) values ranged from 279.11 to 560.50 µg/mL, across the six investigated sites.The trees demonstrated the ability to accumulate heavy metals, with a bio-concentration factor (BCF) exceeding 1 for several metals. These results show that Mazari palm trees can be highly efficient tools for phytoremediation, for specific areas contaminated with As, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Hg, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Mn.. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the phytoremediation, phytochemical potential, and therapeutic benefits of Mazari palm, highlighting its ability to not only tolerate but also accumulate heavy metals for bioactive compound production.

Keywords: Mazari palm; Phytochemical; Phytoremediation; Heavy metal; Secondary metabolites; Antioxidant

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04155-9

Chemical Papers 79 (9) 5813–5829 (2025)