AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION CENTRE www.arccjournals.com/www.legumeresearch.in *Corresponding author’s e-mail: zikhan11@gmail.com 1 Department of Botany, GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan. 2 Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad, Pakistan. 3 Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. 4 Department of Entomology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. Legume Research, 40 (2) 2017 : 277-281 Print ISSN:0250-5371 / Online ISSN:0976-0571 Metal uptake by psyllium (Plantago ovata L.) treated with lead (Pb) under semi-arid conditions Zafar Iqbal Khan * , Shehnila Kashaf, Kafeel Ahmad, Nudrat Aisha Akram 1 , Muhammad Ashraf 2 ,Syed Usman Mahmood 4 , Muhammad Sohail, Humayun Bashir and Naunain Mehmood 3 1 Department of Botany, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan. Recieved: 10-05-2016 Accepted: 17-11-2016 DOI: 10.18805/lr.v0i0.7590 ABSRACT Psyllium plants were treated with different doses of lead (Pb) and different plant parts and seeds were analyzed. Iron (Fe) contents were found to be lower than the toxic level (Soil 2396.9, seeds 691.5, roots 1516.6, leaves 1384.5, husks 1226.1µmol kg -1 DW). The leaf Zn contents were above the critical level but lower than the toxic level (295.2 ± 16 µmol kg -1 ). Leaf manganese (Mn) and Cr levels in P. ovata plants fell within the critical range (232.6 and 0.1923 µmol kg -1 respectively). Lead in soil significantly correlated with Fe and Mn, but non-significantly with Zn and Cr in plants of P. ovata. The transfer ratios of Cr and Zn in plants without Pb treatment were lower as compared to plants treated with varying levels of Pb. P. ovata can grow in soils having lead concentration up to 4000 µmol and act as a hyper accumulator of lead. Key words Heavy Metals, Medicinal plants, Plantago ovata, Treatment of lead. INTRODUCTION Soil bionetwork all-over the world is becoming polluted with heavy metals due to a variety of human actions. The association of metals in food chain causes many health hazards for humans (Zahir et al., 2009). Land pollution with heavy metals is mounting and has become hard question in many countries including Pakistan wherein most of the crops including medicinally important ones contain high amounts of different metals (Bhutto et al., 2009). Of a number of medicinal plants being grown in arid and semi-arid regions, ispagol (Plantago ovata L.) has gained much ground due to its multiple benefits to humans (Khinchi et al., 2011). For example, its husk and seeds contain a variety of compounds and nutrients due to which these parts are used extensively in pharmacology and healing swellings of the mucous membrane of gastro-intestine, piles, unrelieved constipation, duodenal ulcers and dysentery (Bannayan et al ., 2008; Khinchi et al., 2011) and it is exported to different countries in the world. At present, adulteration of soil in cultivated fields with noxious heavy metals has appeared as a new menace to agriculture (Singh et al., 2007; Ahmad et al., 2012; Khan et al., 2012, 2013). Lead is extensively utilized in battery industries, pigments, photographic resources and paint industry (Martins et al., 2006; Parvathi et al., 2007). From these sources Pb easily reaches most of the farm fields due to man-made waste mismanagement. Thus it leads to high accumulation of Pb in farm fields adversely affecting growth and production of most crops including medicinal ones. It is highly likely that psyllium, a chosen medicinal crop of arid and semi arid regions is also adversely affected by heavy metals including Pb. The present study intended to examine up to which psyllium crop accumulates different types of metals in its different parts after treated with Pb. It was also examined that how far metal contaminated psyllium could pose health hazards to humans living in District Sargodha, a semi-arid region of the Punjab Province of Pakistan. MATERIALS AND METHODS In order to examine the mineral status in psyllium (Plantago ovata L.) different doses of lead (Pb) were applied to the growth medium. The minerals under examination were Fe, Mn, Cr, and Zn. The study was performed at the University of Sargodha (32°82 03 N, 73°72 03 E), Sargodha, Pakistan, from December 2011 to March 2012. In Pakistan, Sargodha has been ranked as the 5 th most contaminated urban city of the Punjab province by the Punjab Environment Protection Department (Tahir, 2007). Fifteen seeds of psyllium (Plantago ovata L.) were sown in each of earthen pots containing clay-loamy soil (7 kg). The average day and night temperature was 20/18 o C. Irrigation was practiced with good