The excess of heavy metals contaminating soils is responsible for a negative impact on microorganisms and toxicity on plants, hence turning revegetation and rehabilitation of areas degraded by these metals very difficult. In the present study, the effects of the isoflavonoid formononetin (7 hydroxy 4'methoxy isoflavona) on growth and metal uptake by corn (Zea mays L.) were studied in soil-mixes with increasing proportions of a contaminated soil with 16.904; 194; 219 and 836 mg dm-3 of soil of Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu, respectively. A sample of soil was diluted in a non-contaminated soil at the rates of 0; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5 and 10.0% by weight of the contaminated soil. Soil-mixes were infested with propagules of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF), sown with corn either in presence or absence of formononetin solution at 5 mg L-1, applied at an equivalent rate of 400 mg kg-1 soil. A deppressive effect of soil contamination on AMF colonization and plant growth was found. Application of formononetin enhanced root colonization at low to moderate levels of contamination and also affected corn dry matter yield. Uptake of Zn and Cd increased markedly with increasing levels of soil contamination. Zn uptake was lower in formononetin-treated plants, whereas Fe uptake was enhanced by this treatment up to 7.5% of contaminated soil. These results indicate that formononetin growth effect on corn under a heavy metal-stressed condition is mediated by its effects on mycorrhiza formation. Formononetin's indirect decrease of Zn uptake and enhancement of Fe uptake seems to be the mechanism by which this compound ameliorates heavy metal toxicity on corn. In conclusion, the use of formononetin may facilitate revegetation on heavy-metal polluted soils.
soil pollution; mycorrhizae; root symbiosis; flavonoids; mineral uptake; phytotoxicity