Application of Rhizobacteria, Paraburkholderia fungorum and Delftia sp. Confer Cadmium Tolerance in Rapeseed (Brassica campestris) through Modulating Antioxidant Defense and Glyoxalase Systems

We investigated the role of two different plant growth-promoting probiotic bacteria in conferring cadmium (Cd) tolerance in rapeseed (Brassica campestris cv. BARI Sarisha-14) through improving reactive oxygen species scavenging, antioxidant defense, and glyoxalase system. Soil, as well as seeds of rapeseed, were separately treated with probiotic bacteria, Paraburkholderia fungorum BRRh-4 and Delftia sp. BTL-M2. Fourteen-day-old seedlings were exposed to 0.25 and 0.5 mM CdCl2 for two weeks. Cadmium-treated plants resulted in a higher accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, increased lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll damage, and impaired antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems. Consequently, it reduced plant growth and biomass production, and yield parameters. However, probiotic bacteria-inoculated plants significantly ameliorated the Cd toxicity by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase,…