Nanobiotechnology can boost crop production and quality: first evidence from increased plant biomass, fruit yield and phytomedicine content in bitter melon (Momordica charantia)

BMC Biotechnology

Chittaranjan Kole³  Phullara Kole⁴  K Manoj Randunu²  Poonam Choudhary¹  Ramakrishna Podila¹  Pu Chun Ke¹  Apparao M Rao¹  Richard K Marcus² 

[1] Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

[2] Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

[3] Present address: Vice-Chancellor, Bidhan Chandra Krishi (Agricultural) Viswavidyalaya (University), Mohanpur, West Bengal, India

[4] Department of Genetics and Biochemistry and Institute of Nutraceutical Research, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

关键词: Water content;    Phytomedicine content;    Plant biomass;    Fruit yield;    Accumulation;    Uptake;    Seed treatment;    Bitter melon;    Fullerol;    Nanoparticles;   

Others  :  1123177
DOI  :  10.1186/1472-6750-13-37

 received in 2012-08-19, accepted in 2013-04-03,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Recent research on nanoparticles in a number of crops has evidenced for enhanced germination and seedling growth, physiological activities including photosynthetic activity and nitrogen metabolism, mRNA expression and protein level, and also positive changes in gene expression indicating their potential use in crop improvement. We used a medicinally rich vegetable crop, bitter melon, as a model to evaluate the effects of seed treatment with a carbon-based nanoparticle, fullerol [C₆₀(OH)₂₀], on yield of plant biomass and fruit characters, and phytomedicine contents in fruits.

Results

We confirmed the uptake, translocation and accumulation of fullerol through bright field imaging and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. We observed varied effects of seed treatment at five concentrations, including non-consequential and positive, on plant biomass yield, fruit yield and its component characters, and content of five phytomedicines in fruits. Fullerol-treatment resulted in increases up to 54% in biomass yield and 24% in water content. Increases of up to 20% in fruit length, 59% in fruit number, and 70% in fruit weight led to an improvement up to 128% in fruit yield. Contents of two anticancer phytomedicines, cucurbitacin-B and lycopene, were enhanced up to 74% and 82%, respectively, and contents of two antidiabetic phytomedicines, charantin and insulin, were augmented up to 20% and 91%, respectively. Non-significant correlation inter se plant biomass, fruit yield, phytomedicine content and water content evidenced for separate genetic control and biosynthetic pathways for production of plant biomass, fruits, and phytomedicines in fruits, and also no impact of increased water uptake.

Conclusions

While our results indicated possibility of improving crop yield and quality by using proper concentrations of fullerol, extreme caution needs to be exercised given emerging knowledge about accumulation and toxicity of nanoparticles in bodily tissues.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Kole et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Nair R, Varghese SH, Nair BG, Maekawa T, Yoshida Y, Kumar DS: Nanoparticulate material delivery to plants. Plant Sci 2010, 179:154-163.
• [2]Rico CM, Majumdar S, Duarte-Gardea M, Peralta-Videa JR, Gardea-Torresdey JL: Interaction of nanoparticles with edible plants and their possible implications in the food chain. J Agric Food Chem 2011, 59:3485-3498.
• [3]Lu CM, Zhang CY, Wen JQ, Wu GR, Tao MX: Research of the effect of nanometer materials on germination and growth enhancement of Glycine max and its mechanism. Soybean Sci 2002, 21:168-172. (in Chinese)
• [4]Hong F, Zhou J, Liu C, Yang F, Wu C, Zheng L, Yang P: Effect of nano-TiO2 on photochemical reaction of chloroplasts of spinach. Biol Trace Elem Res 2005, 105:269-279.
• [5]Zheng L, Hong F, Lu S, Liu C: Effect of nano-TiO2 on spinach of naturally aged seeds and growth of spinach. Biol Trace Elem Res 2005, 104:83-91.
• [6]Gao F, Hong F, Liu C, Zheng L, Su M, Wu X, Yang F, Wu C, Yang P: Mechanism of nano-anatase TiO2 on promoting photosynthetic carbon reaction of spinach. Biol Trace Elem Res 2006, 111:239-253.
• [7]Yang F, Liu C, Gao F, Su M, Wu X, Zheng L, Hong F, Yang P: The improvement of spinach growth by nano-anatase TiO2 treatment is related to nitrogen photoreduction. Biol Trace Elem Res 2007, 119:77-88.
• [8]Linglan M, Chao L, Chunxiang Q, Sitao Y, Jie L, Fengqing G, Fashui H: Rubisco activase mRNA expression in spinach: modulation by nanoanatase treatment. Biol Trace Elem Res 2008, 122:168-178.
• [9]Liu XM, Zhang FD, Zhang SQ, He XS, Fang R, Feng Z, Wang Y: Effects of nano-ferric oxide on the growth and nutrients absorption of peanut. Plant Nutr Fert Sci 2010, 11:14-18.
• [10]Khodakovskaya M, Dervishi E, Mahmood M, Yang X, Li Z, Fumiya W, Biris A: Carbon nanotubes are able to penetrate plant seed coat and dramatically affect seed germination and plant growth. ACS Nano 2009, 3:3221-3227.
• [11]Lin S, Reppert J, Hu Q, Hudson JS, Reid ML, Ratnikova TA, Rao AM, Luo H, Ke PC: Uptake, translocation, and transmission of carbon nanomaterials in rice plants. Small 2009, 5:1128-1132.
• [12]Khodakovskaya M, de Silva K, Nedosekin D, Dervishi E, Biris AS, Shashkov EV, Galanzha EI, Zharov VP: Complex genetic, photothermal, and photoacoustic analysis of nanoparticle-plant interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011, 108:1028-1033.
• [13]Khodakovskaya MV, de Silva K, Biris AS, Dervishi E, Villagarcia H: Carbon nanotubes induce growth enhancement of tobacco cells. ACS Nano 2012, 6:2128-2135.
• [14]Sheykhbaglou R, Sedghi M, Shishevan MT, Sharifi RS: Effects of nano-iron oxide particles on agronomic traits of soybean. Notulae Sci Biol 2010, 2:112-113.
• [15]Colvin VL: The potential environmental impact of engineered nanomaterials. Nat Biotechnol 2003, 21:1166-1170.
• [16]Maynard AD, Aitken RJ, Butz T, Colvin VL, Donaldson K, Oberdorster G, Philbert MA, Ryan J, Seaton A, Stone V, Tinkle SS, Tran L, Walker NJ, Warheit DB: Safe handling of nanotechnology. Nature 2006, 444:267-269.
• [17]Ke PC, Qiao R: Carbon nanomaterials in biological systems. J Phys Condens Matter 2007, 19:373101.
• [18]Hyung H, Fortner JD, Hughes JB, Kim JH: Natural organic matter stabilizes carbon nanotubes in the aqueous phase. Environ Sci Technol 2007, 41:179-184.
• [19]Terashima M, Nagao S: Solubilization of [60] fullerene in water by aquatic humic substances. Chem Lett 2007, 36:302-303.
• [20]Chen KL, Elimelech M: Influence of humic acid on the aggregation kinetics of fullerene (C60) nanoparticles in monovalent and divalent electrolyte solutions. J Colloid Interface Sci 2007, 309:126-134.
• [21]Lin DH, Xing BS: Tannic acid adsorption and its role for stabilizing carbon nanotube suspensions. Environ Sci Technol 2008, 42:5917-5923.
• [22]Sayes CM, Fortner JD, Guo W, Lyon D, Boyd AM, Ausman KD, Tao YJ, Sitharaman B, Wilson LJ, Hughes JB, West JL, Colvin VL: The differential cytotoxicity of water-soluble fullerenes. Nano Lett 2004, 4:1881-1887.
• [23]Chen R, Ratnikova TA, Stone MB, Lin S, Lard M, Huang G, Hudson JS, Ke PC: Differential uptake of carbon nanoparticles by plant and mammalian cells. Small 2010, 6:612-617.
• [24]Gharbi N, Pressac M, Hadchouel M, Szwarc H, Wilson SR, Moussa F: [60]Fullerene is a powerful antioxidant in vivo with no acute or subacute toxicity. Nano Lett 2005, 5:2578-2585.
• [25]Dugan LL, Turetsky DM, Du C, Lobner D, Wheeler M, Almli CR, Shen CK-F, Luh T-Y, Choi DW, Lin T-S: Carboxyfullerenes as neuroprotective agents. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1997, 94:9434-9439.
• [26]Dugan LL, Lovett EG, Quick KL, Lotharius J, Lin TT, O’Malley KL: Fullerene-based antioxidants and neurodegenerative disorders. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2001, 7:243-246.
• [27]Raman A, Lau C: Anti-diabetic properties and phytochemistry of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae). Phytomedicine 1996, 2:349-362.
• [28]Ng TB, Chan WY, Yeung HW: Proteins with abortifacient, ribosome inactivating, immunomodulatory, antitumor and anti-AIDs activities from Cucurbitaceae plants. Gen Pharmacol 1992, 23:579-590.
• [29]Basch E, Gabardi S, Ulbricht C: Bitter melon (Momordica charantia): a review of the efficacy and safety. Amer J Health Syst Pharmacol 2003, 60:356-359.
• [30]Kole C, Joshi CP: Shonnard D (Editors): Handbook of Bioenergy Crop Plants. Boca Raton, London, New York: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group; 2012.
• [31]Li J, Takeuchi A, Ozawa M, Li X, Saigo K, Kitazawa K: C60 fullerol formation catalysed by quaternary ammonium hydroxides. J Chem Soc Chem Comm 1993, 23:1784-1786.
• [32]Chiang LY, Wang L-Y, Swirczewki JW, Soled S, Cameron S: Efficient synthesis of polyhydroxylated fullerene derivatives via hydrolysis of polycyclosulfated precursors. J Org Chem 1994, 59:3960-3968.
• [33]Vileno B, Marcoux PR, Lekka M, Sienkiewicz A, Feher T, Forro L: Spectroscopic and photophysical properties of a highly derivatized C60 fullerol. Adv Funct Mater 2006, 16:120-128.
• [34]Klaine SJ, Alvarez PJJ, Batley GE, Fernandes TF, Handry RD, Lyon DY, Manendra S, McKaughlin MJ, Lead JR: Nanomaterials in the environment: Behavior, fate bioavailability, and effects. Environ Toxicol Chem 2008, 27:1825-1851.
• [35]Racuciu M, Creanga D: TMA-OH coated magnetic nanoparticles internalize in vegetal tissue. Rom J Phys 2006, 52:395-402.
• [36]Wang H, Kou X, Pei Z, Xiao JQ, Shan X, Xing B: Physiological effects of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and pumpkin (Cucurbita mixta) plants. Nanotoxicology 2011, 5:30-42.
• [37]Racuciu M, Miclaus S, Creanga D: The response of plant tissues to magnetic fluid and electromagnetic exposure. Rom J Biophys 2009, 19:73-82.
• [38]Liu H-Y, Yu X, Cui D-Y, Sun M-H, Sun W-N, Tang Z-C, Kwak S-S, Su W-A: The role of water channel proteins and nitric oxide signaling in rice seed germination. Cell Res 2007, 17:638-649.
• [39]Behera TK, Behera S, Bharathi LK, John KJ, Simon PW, Staub JE: Bitter gourd: botany, horticulture, breeding. Hort Rev 2010, 37:101-141.
• [40]Pitipanapong J, Chitprasert S, Goto M, Jiratchariyakul W, Sasaki M, Shotipruk A: New approach for extraction of charantin from Momordica charantia with pressurized liquid extraction. Separ Purif Technol 2007, 52:416-422.