Aerially Applied Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Affects Reproductive Components and Seed Quality in Fully Grown Bean Plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract

The development of reproductive components in plant species is susceptible to environmental stresses. The extensive application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZnO) in various agro-industrial processes has jeopardized the performance and functionality of plants. To understand the response of the developmental (gametogenesis and sporogenesis) processes to nanoparticles (NPs) exposure, the aerial application of nZnO and their ionic counterpart of ZnSO4 at four different levels were examined on bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) before the flowering stage. To evaluate the mentioned processes, briefly, flowers in multiple sizes were fixed in paraffin, followed by sectioning and optical analysis. The possibility of alteration in reproductive cells was thoroughly analyzed using both light and electron microscopes. Overall, our results revealed the histological defects in male and female reproductive systems of mature plants depend on NPs levels. Furthermore, NPs caused tapetum abnormalities, aberrations in carbohydrate accumulation, and apoptosis. The nZnO induced abnormal alterations right after meiosis and partly hindered the microspore development, leading to infertile pollens. The seed yield and dry weight were reduced to 70 and 82% at 2,000 mg L–1 nZnO foliar exposure, respectively. The sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis pattern showed the increased expression of two proteins at the molecular weight of 28 and 42 kDa at various concentrations of nZnO and ZnSO4. Overall, our results provided novel insights into the negative effect of nano-scaled Zn on the differential mechanism involved in the reproductive stage of the plants compared with salt form.

The inclusion of engineered ZnO nanoparticles and bulk ZnSO4 in the growth medium distinctively modulate the root and leaf metabolome in bean plants

“…Almost all measured vegetative traits (including fresh and dry weight) were higher or the same as control plants at 25 mg L À1 concentration, mainly in ZnSO 4 treatment. As previously reported for some plant species (Mukherjee et al, 2014;Rajput et al, 2021;Wan et al, 2019) in general and bean plants in particular (Salehi et al, 2021;Salehi et al, 2022), slow and retarded growth performance at levels of ZnONPs dosages ranging from 20 to 2000 mg L À1 has been observed in a concentrationdependent manner. Following available reports, the results confirmed the ZnONPs phytotoxicity at 50 mg L À1 and higher dosages, as fresh and dry weights of both shoots and roots dramatically decreased at the highest concentration.…”

“…The ionic counterparts (ZnSO 4 ) affected similar classes of metabolites but, in some cases, with the opposite trend of regulation. The differential regulation of metabolites by these two materials (i.e., ZnONPs and ZnSO 4 ) proves their distinct mode of action (Salehi et al, 2021, 2022).…”

“…They are quite versatile in their applications as they are used for various applications such as coating agents, cosmetics industries, energy suppliers, and nano‐based fertilizers (Ali et al, 2018; Stoller & Ochando‐Pulido, 2020; Yusefi‐Tanha et al, 2020). Regardless of whether detrimental or beneficial effects have resulted, ZnO NPs have been proven to influence seed germination, organ's internal and external appearance, and plant biomass in terms of visible symptoms (Bandyopadhyay et al, 2015; Dimkpa et al, 2019; Salehi et al, 2021; Salehi et al, 2022; Wang et al, 2016). Furthermore, physiological and biochemical adjustments such as photosynthetic performance, antioxidant capacity, and hormonal balance are ZnO NP‐mediated responses.…”

Nano‐enabled stress‐smart agriculture: Can nanotechnology deliver drought and salinity‐smart crops?

“…Furthermore, ZnO‐NPs and single‐walled carbon nanohorns increased salinity stress tolerance of Sophora alopecuroides seedlings by readjusting carbon/nitrogen metabolic pathways, glycolysis and the citric acid cycle to produce energy for plant growth (Wan et al, 2020). Various abiotic stresses affect reproductive development, a vital level in the life phase of flowering plants (Salehi, Rad, et al, 2021). Literature has demonstrated the susceptibility of key generative processes, such as phase transition, flowering induction, sporogenesis and gametogenesis, to environmental fluctuations, which can result in male sterility and seed abortion (Du, Zhao, Chen, Yao, Xie, 2020; Salehi, Chehregani, et al, 2021; Salehi, Rad, et al, 2021).…”

The comparative effects of manganese nanoparticles and their counterparts (bulk and ionic) in Artemisia annua plants via seed priming and foliar application

“…The expected effects have been reported to be increased germination, healthier seedlings and higher biomass in terms of growth indices ( Szőllősi et al., 2020 ; Wu and Li, 2021 ). The NPs-induced alteration is highly influenced by many factors, such as the nature of NPs themselves, dosages, plant species and the application procedure ( Khan et al., 2019 ; Salehi et al., 2021a ; Salehi et al., 2021b ). In this regard, studies are trying to provide evidence on how NPs work, but getting the whole overview is extremely complicated.…”