Arsenic (As) mitigation recently gained prominence due to its escalating environmental risks. Vegetables, collected from affected areas, showed As accumulation ranging from 644 to 12,043 mu g kg(-1). Among all tested vegetable crops, spinach showed the highest accumulation of As (874-12,043 mu g kg(-1)). Various arsenic-tolerant bacterial strains (similar to 763), along with plant growth-promoting traits, have been isolated from the rhizospheric and endophytic origins of these vegetables. Pseudomonas putida NBRI-RC5.2 (RC5.2), which possesses arsenate reductase and plant growth-promoting traits, was able to reduce the total As content in spinach leaves by similar to 88%. Genes related to As resistance, plant growth promotion, and defense regulation have been identified through whole-genome analysis of RC5.2. The upregulated expression of arsR, arsB, arsA, arsK, arsJ, aqp, arsH and arsC genes in RC5.2 justifies its arsenic detoxification potential. The present study identified RC5.2 with a proven ability to tolerate and mitigate As uptake in spinach leaves. Development of RC5.2-based biofertilizer may be a promising candidate for sustainable As mitigation.

Heavy metal pollution has silently insinuated itself into the fabric of modern life - from the vegetables on our dinner plates and the tap water we drink to the cosmetics we use daily. This reality underscores global environmental and public health crises intensified by industrialization and urban expansion. Conventional physical and chemical remediation methods for heavy metals, while effective to a degree, often involve prohibitive costs and risk disrupting the delicate balance of the original ecosystem. Consequently, the search for green, sustainable, and economically viable remediation alternatives has become imperative. This special issue brings together nine cutting-edge research papers that explore recent advances in heavy metal pollution control and resource recovery from diverse angles - including microbial remediation, plant-microbe combined approaches, bioleaching for resource utilization, soil amendment applications, and the ecological toxicity of nanoparticles. Collectively, these studies offer theoretical insights and novel practical strategies to support the development of efficient and sustainable technologies for managing heavy metal contamination. These research results can pave the way for deeper investigation into the efficacy of the proposed remediation with the eventual aim of taking the science from the lab to the field.

Arsenic contamination poses a major global health concern due to its widespread occurrence, high toxicity, and chronic dietary exposure through rice and rice-based food products. Countries in South and Southeast Asia, including India, are disproportionately affected owing to the prevalence of arsenic-rich geological formations and prolonged groundwater exploitation. Over the past two decades, significant research efforts have been directed toward understanding arsenic uptake, translocation, and accumulation in rice plants, as well as developing effective mitigation strategies. Nutrient-based interventions, including the supplementation of elements such as selenium, silicon, sulfur, and nitrogen, have shown promise in reducing arsenic toxicity while improving rice nutritional quality. In parallel, genetic approaches aimed at developing rice varieties with enhanced nutrient acquisition efficiency and restricted arsenic accumulation offer a sustainable and long-term solution. These include conventional breeding, transgenic strategies, and advanced genome-editing tools that target key genes involved in arsenic transport and detoxification. In addition, agronomic practices such as improved water management play a critical role in minimizing arsenic bioavailability in paddy soils. This review comprehensively examines integrated mitigation strategies encompassing elemental supplementation, water management, breeding, transgenic, and genome-editing approaches to reduce arsenic accumulation in rice grains and vegetative tissues, thereby improving food and fodder safety. These strategies may hold particular promise for cultivating rice in arsenic-contaminated regions worldwide, thereby enhancing its safety for human consumption.

This pioneering study reports the phytoconstituents of aerial organs of the vulnerable Stereospermum colais. These parts have been historically overlooked compared to root and bark exploitation in Ayurveda. This approach eliminates destructive root harvesting while staying within WHO elemental limits for multi-herb Ayurvedic formulations. The study proved leaves as the richest source of antioxidant phenolics and flavonoids, particularly rutin. The abscised petals stand out, containing a high level of the biomarker lignan cycloolivil (15.3 mg/g-DW), thus ideal for zero-impact, sustainable harvesting. Meanwhile, green stems are the best source of lapachol (1558 μg/g-DW in acetone). These highly significant profiles expand our understanding of the S. colais beyond previously identified compounds from roots and bark. This minimises expenses while maintaining tree health and bioactive yields for Ayurvedic applications. This study unlocks sustainable, eco-friendly sourcing for Ayurvedic and modern medicines, easing pressure on wild populations with non-destructive harvesting that can readily scale for commercial use.

Arsenic (As) contamination in rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a persistent threat to global food safety. Expansin-like proteins have been implicated in cell wall dynamics and metal binding; however, their in planta role in As detoxification remains unexplored. This study reveals a pivotal role for the rice expansin-like protein OsELP in As compartmentalisation and tolerance. Using transgenic approaches in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice, we showed that OsELP overexpression significantly enhanced tolerance to both arsenite and arsenate stress, protecting biomass and photosynthetic efficiency. Mechanistically, OsELP facilitated the apoplastic sequestration of As in roots, as visualised by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) imaging. This sequestration acted as a root filter, increasing root As retention and reducing shoot translocation, which culminated in a significant reduction of As in grains in the overexpression lines. This spatial restriction of As mitigated oxidative and photosynthetic damage by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities and limiting reactive oxygen species accumulation. In contrast, the Oselp knockout line exhibited increased As accumulation in aerial tissues and heightened sensitivity. This study reveals a previously uncharacterised functional link between cell wall-associated expansin-like proteins and As mobility regulation, highlighting OsELP as a promising genetic target for developing low-As rice cultivars.

Areca nut (Areca catechu L.) is a major tropical palm crop cultivated widely across South and Southeast Asia, with India being the largest producer. Despite its economic importance, systematic characterization of alkaloid dynamics across genotypes and developmental stages remains limited. This study quantified the temporal profiles of four key pyridine alkaloids-arecoline, guvacoline, guvacine, and arecaidine- in 15 arecanut genotypes from 6 to 12 months post-anthesis. Arecoline levels generally declined with maturity, while the varieties 'Mangala', 'Sumangala', and 'Madhuramangala' consistently maintained higher concentrations throughout the developmental stages. Guvacoline exhibited progressive accumulation with a peak at 9-10 months, with 'Mangala' showing the highest content. Arecaidine followed a biphasic pattern, with varieties 'Mohitnagar' and 'Mangala' accumulating the greatest amounts. 'Shatamangala' and 'Sirsi' remained low in most alkaloids throughout development. Significant genotypic variation and distinct developmental trajectories were observed, identifying 'Mangala' as the most alkaloid-rich genotype. To contextualize these alkaloid patterns within overall seed composition, physicochemical properties, fatty acid profiles, antioxidant activity, and total polyphenol content were also evaluated across genotypes. These findings provide a biochemical basis for cultivar selection, value addition, and breeding strategies aimed at optimizing arecanut alkaloid composition.

Solanum viarum is a valuable medicinal plant native to India and widely distributed throughout Asia. It serves as a commercially viable raw source for the steroidal drug industry, being the richest natural source of an important steroidal alkaloid- solasodine. Enhancement of solasodine content in in vitro plant cultures is always a keen interest for tissue culturists for the research and development in pharmaceutical industries. In the present study, a multiple linear regression (MLR) model was employed to investigate the synergistic effects of key nutrient components in the growth medium (Mg, Ca, Fe, N, and sucrose) for optimized growth and solasodine production in in vitro plant cultures of S. viarum. All the cultures were harvested after 35, 45, and 55 days of the culture cycle. The three models were designed to predict growth index, solasodine content, and solasodine yield in the plant cultures. The designed model was further evaluated by performing a validation experiment using ten different experimental setups, which showed a greater similarity between the predicted and experimental datasets. The results of the model-based experimental set showed that 1.4 mM Mg, 2.9 mM Ca, 1.9 µM Fe, 41.9 mM Nitrogen, and 4 % (w/v) sucrose resulted in achieving maximum solasodine yield (108.82 mg/g DW) in the plant culture of S. viarum after 54 days of harvest. The proposed MLR model offers a robust and reliable approach for predicting the optimal concentrations of micro- and macronutrients to maximize growth and solasodine accumulation in in vitro cultures of Solanum viarum. This study establishes a strategic framework that can be leveraged to enhance biomass production and secondary metabolite yield, contributing significantly to the large-scale cultivation and pharmaceutical exploitation of this valuable medicinal plant.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST), a glutathione dependent enzyme with multifunctional activity plays crucial role in plants ability to withstand stresses both biotic and abiotic. Present study involves Glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene family identification and analysis in a model bryophyte species Marchantia polymorpha. Study reveals a total of 37 GST proteins using sequence similarity searches and further validated through hidden Markov model (HMM). These proteins exhibit a conserved thioredoxin fold in both N-terminal and C-terminal domains. Phylogenetic analysis classified the Glutathione S-transferase gene family in Marchantia polymorpha (MpGST) into ten groups, where Phi class showed highest representation. Subsequently gene structure analysis revealed variation in exon numbers which were ranging from two to ten exons per gene. Furthermore, expression profiles of genes under various abiotic stresses (arsenic, temperature, salt, drought, and osmotic stress) and hormone treatments indicated upregulation of MpGST genes. Interestingly, MpGST genes exhibited increased expression pattern under oxidative stress and hormone treatments, supporting their potential role in abiotic stress management. This cumulative study provides valuable insights of the GST gene family in Marchantia polymorpha and highlights their involvement in stress tolerance, laying the foundation for further functional analyses of selected gene/s in bryophytes.

Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases that function as key regulators of redox homeostasis, development, and stress responses in plants. Despite their functional importance, little is known about the GRX gene family in early diverging land plants. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genome-wide identification of GRX genes in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and their role in abiotic stresses. A total of 17 MpGRX genes with 2 isoforms (19 MpGRX) containing the conserved Glutaredoxin domain (PF00462) were identified using BLAST, HMMER, and SMART approaches. Gene structure analysis revealed that six MpGRX genes contained a single intron, whereas the remaining genes exhibited more complex structures with three or more introns, suggesting gene expansion and functional diversification. Evolutionary analysis was conducted using non-synonymous (Ka) and synonymous (Ks) substitution rates between MpGRX genes and homologous genes from Physcomitrella patens, Ceratopteris richardii, Pinus taeda, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa. The results indicated generally low Ka values, except in one MpGRX-PtGRX pair with Ka = 1.59, suggesting potential functional divergence in gymnosperms. Ks-based divergence time estimates were consistent with known evolutionary separations. Selection pressure analysis based on Ka/Ks ratios revealed that most GRX gene pairs were under purifying selection, particularly those between M. polymorpha and mosses, ferns, and angiosperms. This study provides novel insights into the structural diversity, evolutionary history, and selective constraints acting on the GRX gene family in M. polymorpha, offering a foundation for future functional and comparative studies in early land plant lineages.

Arsenic (As) contamination in rice poses a significant threat to human health due to its toxicity and widespread consumption. Identifying and manipulating key genes governing As accumulation in rice is crucial for reducing this threat. The large NIP gene family of aquaporins in rice presents a promising target due to functional redundancy, potentially allowing for gene manipulation without compromising plant growth. This study aimed to utilize genome editing to generate knock-out (KO) lines of genes of NIP family ( OsLsi1, OsNIP3;1) ) and an anion transporter family ( OsLsi2 ), in order to assess their impact on As accumulation and stress tolerance in rice. KO lines were created using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, and the As accumulation patterns, physiological performance, and grain yield were compared against wild-type (WT) under As-treated conditions. KO lines exhibited significantly reduced As accumulation in grain compared to WT. Notably, Osnip3;1 KO line displayed reduced As in xylem sap (71-74%) and grain (32-46%) upon treatment. Additionally, these lines demonstrated improved silicon (23%) uptake, photosynthetic pigment concentrations (Chl a: 77%; Chl b: 79%, Total Chl: 79% & Carotenoid: 49%) overall physiological and agronomical performance under As stress compared to WT. This study successfully utilized genome editing for the first time to identify OsNIP3;1 as a potential target for manipulating As accumulation in rice without compromising grain yield or plant vigor.

Heavy metal (HM) contamination poses significant threat to agricultural productivity. This study identified and characterized Os09g29690 (OsELP), a rice expansin-like protein. We demonstrated OsELP localizes to the cell wall and is upregulated under various abiotic stresses. Sequence analysis revealed a potential metal-binding CXXXC motif in its conserved domain. Heterologous expression of OsELP in yeast mutants (Δacr3 and Δycf1) enhanced metal tolerance under arsenate [As(V)], arsenite [As(III)], and cadmium [Cd] stress. Yeast cells expressing OsELP accumulated higher amounts of As and Cd, suggesting a potential metal-binding mechanism. This was confirmed through site-directed mutagenesis on the conserved cysteine and serine residues within OsELP. Mutants lacking cysteine residues (mutCS) reduced tolerance to As(III) and Cd but enhanced tolerance to As(V), indicating a role of cysteine in As(III) and Cd binding. Conversely, mutants lacking serine residues (mutSA) reduced tolerance to As(V), suggesting serine's involvement in As(V) binding. These findings reveal the roles of cysteine and serine residues in mediating HM tolerance and binding, confirming OsELP as a key player in HM detoxification through cell wall localization and chelation. This study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of HM tolerance in plants, with potential applications in developing crops with enhanced resistance to HM toxicity.

This study focused on conservation and large-scale propagation of Begonia dipetala var. hydrophila (C.B. Clarke) Santhosh Seema through a micropropagation system. An optimized protocol for aseptic seed germination was established using varying concentrations (0.5, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 µM) of gibberellic acid (GA3), coupled with different incubation temperatures and light conditions. The combination of GA3 (5.0 µM) and 3-d dark incubation under a 16-h photoperiod at 4 °C yielded the highest seed germination percentage (95.20 ± 0.86). Multiple seedlings were induced from individual excised seeds on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP; 5.0 µM). Shoot multiplication was optimized through application of BAP (5.0 µM) and various concentrations of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The maximum shoot number (15.20 ± 0.86) was observed after 8 wk of culture on MS medium with BAP (5.0 µM) and NAA (1.5 µM). Root induction occurred on ½ MS medium with 0.2 µM, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), resulting in the highest number of roots (16) with an average length of 1.24 cm after 4 wk of culture. During acclimatization and hardening from the culture room to the greenhouse, significant increases in photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b) and carotenoids were noted. Upon transfer to field conditions, a substantial change in pigment content was observed, stabilizing after 80 to 90 d of acclimatization. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased from the culture room to the open field, reaching stability after 80 to 90 d. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were maximum (6.95 and 10.01, respectively) under greenhouse conditions after 60 d, decreasing upon transfer to an open field and stabilizing at 80 to 90 d. Survival percentages varied during the acclimatization process, with the highest (90

This study addresses the pressing issue of high arsenic (As) contaminations, which poses a severe threat to various life forms in our ecosystem. Despite this prevailing concern, all organisms have developed some techniques to mitigate the toxic effects of As. Certain plants, such as bryophytes, the earliest land plants, exhibit remarkable tolerance to wide range of harsh environmental conditions, due to their inherent competence. In this study, bryophytes collected from West Bengal, India, across varying contamination levels were investigated for their As tolerance capabilities. Assessment of As accumulation potential and antioxidant defense efficiency, including SOD, CAT, APX, GPX etc. revealed Marchantia polymorpha as the most tolerant species. It exhibited highest As accumulation, antioxidative proficiency, and minimal damage. Transcriptomic analysis of M. polymorpha exposed to 40 μM As(III) for 24 and 48 h identified several early responsive differentially expressing genes (DEGs) associated with As tolerance. These includes GSTs, GRXs, Hsp20s, SULTR1;2, ABCC2 etc., indicating a mechanism involving vacuolar sequestration. Interestingly, one As(III) efflux-transporter ACR3, an extrusion pump, known to combat As toxicity was found to be differentially expressed compared to control. The SEM-EDX analysis, further elucidated the operation of As extrusion mechanism, which contributes added As resilience in M. polymorpha. Yeast complementation assay using Δacr3 yeast cells, showed increased tolerance towards As(III), compared to the mutant cells, indicating As tolerant phenotype. Overall, these findings significantly enhance our understanding of As tolerance mechanisms in bryophytes. This can pave the way for the development of genetically engineered plants with heightened As tolerance and the creation of improved plant varieties.

Arsenic (As) contamination of agricultural soil has become a major concern due to its adverse effects on plant growth and human health. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), a novel selenium (Se) source, are characterised by their exceptional biocompatibility, degradability, and bioactivities. In the present study, SeNPs were biogenically synthesised and further characterised using UV–visible spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, and TEM analysis. Different concentrations of the synthesised SeNPs were used to treat Spinacia oleracea L. (spinach) seeds to determine their impact on growth profile, gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments, oxidative stress, and antioxidant enzyme status upon arsenite (AsIII) treatment. The findings revealed that SeNP supplementation at a concentration of 100 µM (SeNPs100) led to a significant reduction in As accumulation by twofold in roots and 1.5-fold in leaves when compared to plants exposed to AsIII100 (µM) alone. Interestingly, the photosynthetic efficiency was also remarkably enhanced upon SeNPs100 treatment, associated with increased activities of the defence enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) in the AsIII + SeNP-exposed spinach plants as compared to AsIII treatment alone. Overall, the present study highlights the potential of biogenic SeNP supplementation in promoting plant growth and mitigating As toxicity in spinach under AsIII stress. This study could have significant implications for the use of SeNPs as a nanofertiliser in regions grappling with As-contaminated soils for sustainable agriculture and human health.

The current global climatic conditions project drought as a severe form of abiotic stress that directly impacts the agricultural productivity of economically important crops. In this study, we conducted a functional characterization of a drought-responsive express-protein (OsEP) that contains the DUF-4057 superfamily domain. In silico analysis revealed differential expression of the OsEP gene in two drought-responsive rice varieties with contrasting characteristics (Heena, drought-tolerant, and Kiran, drought-sensitive). According to phylogenetic analysis, OsEP showed a high amino acid identity with the protein of Panicum hallii and Zizania palustris. Following treatment with 20% PEG, quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated an increased abundance of OsEP gene transcripts. The OsEP gene exhibited the highest expression levels in the gynoecium and roots of the rice plant. Notably, rice lines over-expressing OsEP were found to be sensitive to PEG-induced drought stress, whereas knockdown lines exhibited improved root architecture and lignification of root cells, enabling them to withstand severe water deficit conditions. Furthermore, drought stress compromised the growth parameters and grain yield of OsEP over-expressing lines compared to knock-down lines. Increased activity of antioxidant enzymes such as CAT (catalase), APX (Ascorbate peroxidase), and SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) was observed in knock-down lines compared to both over-expressing lines and wild-type plants. Additionally, knock-down lines exhibited decreased levels of membrane stability marker (MDA) and electrolyte leakage, along with elevated proline content. Important regulatory genes such as OsHsfC1b, OsbZIP81, and OsNCED, positively impacted by osmotic/drought stress, exhibit variable expression in over-expressing and knock-down lines. These findings suggest that down-regulation of the OsEP gene modulates the genomic architecture of knock-down lines, allowing them to maintain cellular homeostasis by regulating enzymatic activity. Our results indicate that the OsEP gene is a negative regulator of drought response. Moreover, GA-JA (Gibberellic Acid-Jasmonic Acid) cross-talk is involved in the down-regulation of stress-related phenomena in over-expressing lines. Overall, this study sheds light on the crucial role of the DUF4057 superfamily gene in drought response and provides insights into its potential regulatory mechanism.

Tinospora cordifolia (Family Menispermaceae), commonly known as "Guduchi," is an extensively used medicinal plant in modern as well as traditional Ayurvedic systems of medicine. The constitutive occurrence of various bioactive constituents such as terpenes, alkaloids, glycosides, aliphatic compounds, and flavonoids attributes to its inexplicable efficacy towards various chronic ailments due to its antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, antiperiodic, antileprotic, antispasmodic, antiarthritic, antioxidant, antistress, antimalarial, and antineoplastic activities. The whole plant parts viz. roots, stem, and leaves act as a repository of these important bioactive constituents and are utilized in the preparation of various pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical formulations. A scan of the published literature survey on T. cordifolia clearly indicates that an array of reviews is available on the phytochemical and pharmacological activities of this plant, but systematic compilation for its conventional and nonconventional mode of propagation, conservation, and strategies for the sustainable production of its metabolites is still lacking. Hence, the present review is an attempt in this direction focused on understanding the different means of propagation that act as an alternative platform for strategizing the production as well as the conservation of the bioactive constituents of this important medicinal plant. A critical evaluation of the future implications as well as breakthrough for the commercialization of T. cordifolia is also discussed.

Metallothioneins (MTs) are cysteine-rich proteins known for their strong metal-binding capabilities, making them effective in detoxifying heavy metals (HMs). This study focuses on characterizing the functional properties of OsMT-I-Id, a type-I Metallothionein found in rice. Using a HM-responsive yeast cup1Δ (DTY4), ycf1∆ (for cadmium), and acr3∆ mutants (for trivalent arsenic), we assessed the impact of OsMT-I-Id on metal accumulation and cellular resilience. Our results demonstrated that yeast cells expressing OsMT-I-Id showed increased tolerance and accumulated higher levels of copper (Cu), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd), compared to control cells. This can be attributed to the protein's ability to chelate and bind HMs. Site-directed mutagenesis was employed to investigate the specific contributions of cysteine residues. The study revealed that yeast cells with a mutated C-domain displayed heightened HM sensitivity, while cells with a mutated N-domain exhibited reduced sensitivity. This underscores the critical role of C-cysteine-rich domains in metal binding and tolerance of type-I rice MTs. Furthermore, the study identified the significance of the 12th cysteine position at the N-domain and the 68th and 72nd cysteine positions at the C-domain in influencing OsMT-I-Id metal-binding capacity. This research provides novel insights into the structure-function relationship and metal binding properties of type-I plant MTs.

Vetiver [Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Roberty] is a perennial C-4 grass traditionally valued for its aromatic roots/root essential oil. Owing to its deep penetrating web-forming roots, the grass is now widely used across the globe for phytoremediation and the conservation of soil and water. This study has used the transcriptome data of vetiver roots in its two distinct geographic morphotypes (North Indian type A and South Indian type B) for reference gene(s) identification. Further, validation of reference genes using various abiotic stresses such as heat, cold, salt, and drought was carried out. The de novo assembly based on differential genes analysis gave 1,36,824 genes (PRJNA292937). Statistical tests like RefFinder, NormFinder, BestKeeper, geNorm, and Delta-Ct software were applied on 346 selected contigs. Eleven selected genes viz., GAPs, UBE2W, RP, OSCam2, MUB, RPS, Core histone 1, Core histone 2, SAMS, GRCWSP, PLDCP along with Actin were used for qRT-PCR analysis. Finally, the study identified the five best reference genes GAPs, OsCam2, MUB, Core histone 1, and SAMS along with Actin. The two optimal reference genes SAMS and Core histone 1 were identified with the help of qbase + software. The findings of the present analyses have value in the identification of suitable reference gene(s) in transcriptomic and molecular data analysis concerning various phenotypes related to abiotic stress and developmental aspects, as well as a quality control measure in gene expression experiments. Identifying reference genes in vetiver appears important as it allows for accurate normalization of gene expression data in qRT-PCR experiments.

In the present scenario, remediation of heavy metals (HMs) contaminated soil has become an important work to be done for the well-being of human and their environment. Phytoremediation can be regarded as an excellent method in environmental technologies. The present contemporary research explores the Solanum viarum Dunal function as a potential accumulator of hazardous HMs viz . lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and their combination (CHM). On toxic concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn, and their synergistic exposure, seeds had better germination percentage and their 90d old aerial tissues accumulated Pb, Cd, and Zn concentrations ranging from 44.53, 84.06, and 147.29 mg kg −1 DW, respectively. Pattern of accumulation in roots was as Zn 70.08 > Pb 48.55 > Cd 42.21 mg kg −1 DW. Under HMs treatment, positive modulation in physiological performances, antioxidant activities suggested an enhanced tolerance along with higher membrane stability due to increased levels of lignin, proline, and sugar. Phenotypic variations were recorded in prickles and roots of 120 d old HM stressed plants, which are directly correlated with better acclimation. Interestingly, trichomes of the plant also showed HM accumulation. Later, SEM–EDX microanalysis suggested involvement of S. viarum capitate glandular trichomes as excretory organs for Cd and Zn. Thus, the present study provides an understanding of the mechanism that makes S. viarum to function as potent accumulator and provides information to generate plants to be used for phytoremediation.