Magnetite nanoparticles coated with citric acid are not phytotoxic and stimulate soybean and alfalfa growth

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

Myriam Sara Zawoznik¹  Marcela Beatriz Fernández van Raap²  María Daniela Groppa²  Diego Fernando Coral³  María Florencia Iannone³  María Patricia Benavides³ 

[1] Correspondence to: Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, 1113 Buenos Aires, Argentina.;Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB-CONICET), Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, 1113 Buenos Aires, Argentina;Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junín 956, 1113 Buenos Aires, Argentina;

关键词: Alfalfa;    Growth;    Iron nanoparticles;    Oxidative stress;    Soybean;    Translocation;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

In this work, the internalization and distribution of citric acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles (here, Fe3O4-NPs) in soybean and alfalfa tissues and their effects on plant growth were studied. Both legumes were germinated in pots containing an inert growing matrix (vermiculite) to which Hoagland solution without (control, C), with Fe3O4-NPs (50 and 100 mgironL−1, NP50 and NP100), or with the same amount of soluble iron supplied as Fe-EDTA (Fe50, Fe100) was added once before sowing. Then, plants were watered with the standard nutrient solution. The observation of superparamagnetic signals in root tissues at harvest (26 days after emergence) indicated Fe3O4-NPs uptake by both legumes. A weak superparamagnetic signal was also present in the stems and leaves of alfalfa plants. These findings suggest that Fe3O4-NPs are readily absorbed but not translocated (soybean) or scarcely translocated (alfalfa) from the roots to the shoots. The addition of both iron sources resulted in increased root weight; however, only the addition of Fe3O4-NPs resulted in significantly higher root surface; shoot weight also increased significantly. As a general trend, chlorophyll content enhanced in plants grown in vermiculite supplemented with extra iron at pre-sowing; the greatest increase was observed with NP50. The only antioxidant enzyme significantly affected by our treatments was catalase, whose activity increased in the roots and shoots of both species exposed to Fe3O4-NPs. However, no symptoms of oxidative stress, such as increased lipid peroxidation or reactive oxygen species accumulation, were evidenced in any of these legumes. Besides, no evidence of cell membrane damage or cell death was found. Our results suggest that citric acid-coated Fe3O4-NPs are not toxic to soybean and alfalfa; instead, they behave as plant growth stimulators.

【 授权许可】

Unknown