Water-based magnetic fluids, generally intended for biomedical applications, often have various coating molecules that make them stable and compatible with biological liquids. Magnetic fluids containing iron oxide particles have been prepared by a co-precipitation method, using citric acid as stabilizer. The magnetic particles of the magnetic fluids were obtained by chemical precipitation from ferric (FeCl(3)) and ferrous salts (FeSO(4) or FeCl(2)) in alkali medium (ammonia hydroxide). Citric acid was used to stabilize the magnetic-particle suspension. Physical tests were performed in order to determine various microstructural and rheological features. Transmission electron microscopy was the main investigation method for assessing the magnetic-particle size. The dimensional distribution of the magnetic-particle physical diameter was analyzed using the box-plot statistical method while infrared absorption spectra were used to study the colloidal particle structure. The magnetic-fluid density (picnometric method), viscosity (capillary method) and surface tension (stalagmometric method) were measured using standard methods.

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The present experimental investigation is focused on the study of assimilatory pigments and nucleic acid levels in young plants intended for agricultural use (Zea mays) in presence of water based magnetic fluid added in culture medium. The magnetic fluid was constituted by coating the nanosized magnetic nanoparticles (with 10.55 nm average value of the physical diameter) with β-cyclodextrin (C 42 H 70 O 35 ) and further dispersion in water. After germination, various volume fractions (between 10 mL/L and 500 mL/L) of the magnetic fluid was added daily in the culture medium of Zea mays plants still at their early ontogenetic stages. Toxicity symptoms leaded to brown spots covering the leaf surface for the highest magnetic fluid volume fractions used, a putative oxidative stress generated by iron excess treatment. Relatively small volume fraction of magnetic fluid solutions induced the increase of chlorophyll a level (up to 38%), the main photosynthesis pigment, as well that the nucleic acid level (up to 57%) in Zea mays plantlets. All volume fractions of magnetic fluid solutions analyzed may have severe disruptive effects such as the ratio chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b (about 50% decreasing).

In recent decades, magnetite nanoparticles received greater attention in nanobiotechnology due to wide applications. This study presents the influence of the oxidative stress caused by magnetite nanoparticles coated with aspartic acid (A-MNP) of 9.17 nm mean diameter size, on maize (Zea mays) seedlings, in terms of growth, enzymatic activity and chlorophyll content as evaluated in exposed plant tissues. Diluted suspensions of colloidal magnetite nanoparticles stabilized in water were added to the culture medium of maize seeds, such as to equate nanoparticle concentrations varying from 0.55 mg/L to 11 mg/L. The obtained results showed that the growth of maize was stimulated by increasing the level of A-MNPs. Plant samples treated with different concentrations of A-MNP proved increased activities of catalase and peroxidase, and chlorophyll content, as well. The exposure of plants to magnetite nanoparticles may induce oxidative stress, which activates the plant defense/antioxidant mechanisms.

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