Chromium (Cr) pollution in farmlands is a common environmental issue, that can seriously inhibit plant growth, damage plant cells, and even cause plant death. In this study, bok choy (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino (var. communis Tsen et Lee)) was selected as a model plant to investigate the metabolic response to Cr stress at concentrations of 2.0 mg/L and 8.0 mg/L. Metabolites were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis and orthogonal projections to latent structure discriminant analysis revealed the notable effect of Cr stress on the metabolites of bok choy. Under Cr stress, 145 metabolites were identified in the bok choy leaves. At 2.0 mg/L Cr stress, 10 and 26 metabolites changed compared to the control after 7 d and 14 d, respectively. At 8.0 mg/L Cr stress, 24 and 24 metabolites changed significantly after 7 and 14 d, respectively. The data showed that metabolism was affected by the Cr stress concentration and exposure time. Specifically, under the Cr stress, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase cycle, and partial amino acid metabolic pathways were blocked, inhibiting the normal growth and development of bok choy. The change of citric acid content was the most significant, and the accumulation of citric acid indicated the degree of plant Cr toxicity and resistance. These results would facilitate further dissection of the mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation/tolerance in plants and the effective management of such contamination in vegetable crops by genetic manipulation.
