2025

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Heavy Metal Analysis of Commercial Rice Grains from Varanasi City of India: Insight into Contamination Level, Daily Intake and Associated Health Risks
(Springer, 2025) Priyanka K. Singh; Rajesh Kumar Sharma; Prince Kumar Singh
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food in Many Asian countries and plays a vital role in global food security. Heavy metal contamination of the rice grains is a global concern, yet data on contamination level and associated risks in Northern India remain Limited. Thus, the present study quantified concentrations of Cd, Cr, Pb, As, Ni, Cu, and Zn in 19 rice grain varieties consumed by urban population of India using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Hazardous risks of consuming rice grains were assessed through computing estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and target cancer risk (TCR). Results showed that Pb, As, and Ni levels in rice grains were below the detection thresholds (0.2, 0.2, and 0.04 µg g⁻1 dw, respectively). However, concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn ranged between 0.25–1.3, 0.25–4.1, 1.8–10.5 and 19.5–36.8 µg g⁻1 dw, respectively. Except Cd, all the heavy metals were below the international and Indian permissible standards. Cd and Cr were detected in six rice varieties only (Jeera 32, Chintu, Cuttack, Silky, Kinki and Gawahi). EDI values via rice consumption were found as Zn > Cu > Cr > Cd for both children and adults. THQ values for Cd, Cr, and Cu exceeds a unit in Sonanchal, Kalanamak, and Moti under high exposure frequency. TCR further revealed that Cd and Cr in rice varieties posed carcinogenic risks to local residents. Ensuring food and public health safety adheres to strict monitoring and regulations of heavy metal contamination in rice grains. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.
Heavy metal accumulation, yield and health risk assessment of wheat crop grown in contaminated soil amended with bioash for sustainable agriculture
(Academic Press Inc., 2025) Umesh Kumar; Prince Kumar Singh; Indrajeet Kumar; Rajesh Kumar Sharma
Prolonged use of wastewater irrigation in peri-urban agriculture has increased levels of heavy metals (HMs) in soil, raising concerns regarding both food safety and human health. To address this issue, the effectiveness of agro-waste derived bioashes (ADB), specifically rice husk ash (RHA) and sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA), was investigated as soil amendment materials to immobilize HMs in soil and reduce their accumulation in crops. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of RHA and SBA on HM uptake, growth, yield, nutrient quality, and seed metabolite profiles of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. HUW 234) crop grown in HM contaminated soils, along with associated health risks. Results revealed that SBA significantly and effectively reduced Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd accumulation in wheat seeds (13.5 %, 33.8 %, 17.6 %, 7.8 %, and 10.0 %, respectively), more compared to RHA (6.8 %, 16.9 %, 8.8 %, 3.9 %, and 5.0 %) with maximum accumulation in roots followed by shoots and least in seeds. Health risk assessments showed that the estimated daily intake (EDI) of HMs was found highest for Zn and lowest for Cd in both the children and adults consuming wheat seeds, with hazard quotient values above a unit for all the HMs. The present study concludes that SBA could be effectively used as a superior soil amendment to reduce HM toxicity in soil-wheat system, associated human health risks and to promote sustainable agriculture in peri-urban areas. © 2024
Phytochemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of methanol stem and leaf extracts of Croton bonplandianus Baill
(Springer, 2025) Indrajeet Kumar; Umesh Kumar; Prince Kumar Singh; Jay Shankar Yadav; Akanksha Dwivedi; Priyanka K. Singh; Ashutosh Tripathi; Rajesh Kumar Sharma
The increasing demand for natural antioxidants in the food and pharmaceutical sectors has driven the search for plant species with notable bioactive properties. To fulfil the demand for natural antioxidants, different plants including Croton spp. have been explored. However, the antioxidant activities of Croton bonplandianus Baill plant growing in Varanasi and surrounding regions have not been assessed to date. C. bonplandianus thrives in diverse habitats and exhibits a range of bioactivities, such as wound healing, anti-arthritic, antimicrobial, anticancer, and other therapeutic potentials. Therefore, the present study aimed to quantify total phenolic and flavonoid contents in methanol extracts of the leaf (LME) and stem (SME) of C. bonplandianus plant. Further, extracts were analyzed for in-vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The results depicted that total phenolics (mg GAE/g dw) and flavonoids (mg QE/g dw) content were higher in LME (63.2 and 4.3, respectively) of C. bonplandianus as compared to the SME (30.5 and 3.5, respectively). Further, the results revealed DPPH (%), ABTS (%) and FRAP [µM Fe (II)/g dw] activities in LME (78.7, 83.4 and 203.8, respectively) were also higher than SME (72.3, 71.73 and 169.7, respectively). IC50 values were recorded as 0.8 mg/ml and 5.8 mg/ml for LME and SME, respectively. GC–MS investigation of LME and SME showed the presence of Undecane 2,6-dmethyl (28%) followed by cyclonasilaxane (19%), octadecanoic acid (6.62%) and hexadecanoic acid (4.18%) as major compounds. Both the extract potentially possessed antibacterial properties against E. coli. The findings also demonstrated that heavy metal concentration in soil, leaf, and stem was found within Indian norms. The present study concludes that both, the leaf and stem of C. bonplandianus plant are rich in phenolic and possess antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Therefore, it is suggested that C. bonplandianus be further explored and used therapeutically to fulfill the current demand for natural antioxidants. © The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Society for Plant Research 2024.

2025

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