Plant Soil Environ., 2025, 71(9):650-665 | DOI: 10.17221/246/2025-PSE

Physiological and biochemical bases of AMF-mediated antimony stress tolerance in Linum usitatissimum: enhancing growth, phytochemical production, and oxidative damage resilienceOriginal Paper

Ahlem Zrig ORCID...^1,2, Shereen M. Korany³, Hana Sonbol³, Emad A. Alsherif⁴, Foued Hammouda⁵, Danyah A. Aldailami⁶, Marwa Yousry A. Mohamed⁷, Mohamed S. Sheteiwy⁸, Maria Gabriela Maridueña-Zavala⁹, Salma Yousif Sidahmed Elsheikh¹⁰

¹ Laboratory of Engineering Processes and Industrial Systems, Chemical Engineering Department, National School of Engineers of Gabes, University of Gabes, Gabes, Tunisia

² Faculty of Sciences of Gabes, University of Gabes, Gabes, Tunisia

³ Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

⁴ Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt

⁵ Higher Institute of Management of Gabes and Higher Institute of Management of Tunis, GEF2A-Lab, Tunis, Tunisia

⁶ Public Health Department, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

⁷ Department of Biology, College of Science, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

⁸ Department of Integrative Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

⁹ Centro de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas del Ecuador (CIBE), Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Guayaquil, Ecuador

¹⁰ College of Science, Arar, Department of Biological Science, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia

Antimony (Sb) pollution from industrial activities poses a severe global threat, particularly impacting valuable medicinal crops like linseed, which are highly sensitive to heavy metals. This study reveals the remarkable potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as a sustainable solution to this challenge. Our research demonstrates that while Sb stress significantly impairs linseed growth and photosynthesis, it also triggers oxidative damage. AMF improved photosynthetic performance and water status, and notably enhanced the biosynthesis of crucial phytochemicals like phenolics, flavonoids, and citric acid. These compounds are vital for both plant defence and human health. Furthermore, AMF promoted the accumulation of essential detoxifying agents, leading to a better redox balance and significantly reducing Sb uptake and translocation by 47%. This dual action not only bolsters the plant’s tolerance to Sb but also enhances its medicinal value by boosting health-promoting bioactive metabolites. These promising findings underscore AMF’s dual role: a powerful tool for phytoremediation and a natural enhancer of phytochemical quality. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi provide a sustainable, nature-inspired approach to safely cultivate medicinal plants in environments contaminated with heavy metals, underscoring the vital role of plant-microbe interactions in alleviating environmental stresses.

Keywords: medicinal plants; symbiosis; heavy metal; redox homeostasis; detoxification; physiological parameters

Received: June 4, 2025; Revised: August 1, 2025; Accepted: August 4, 2025; Prepublished online: September 12, 2025; Published: September 26, 2025  Show citation