Effects of saponin capped triangular silver nanocrystals on the germination of Pisum sativum , Cicer arietinum , Vigna radiata seeds & their subsequent growth study

Abstract

In this study, saponin capped triangular silver nanocrystals have been synthesised using fenugreek seed extract, where the extract acts both as a reducing and capping agent. X-ray diffraction study confirms the purity and crystalline nature of the prepared nanocrystals and transmission electron microscopic study shows the triangular morphology with the average edge length of 72 nm, along with the atomic force microscopy study for the height or the width of the triangular nanocrystals. These nanocrystals have been investigated against a few pulses (seeds) such as Pisum sativum, Cicer arietinum and Vigna radiata for their effect on the germination as well as growth of root and shoot. Considering different concentration of silver nanocrystals solution, it has been found that 25 × 10 −4 and 80 × 10 −4 μg/ml are the minimum and maximum concentrations of silver nanocrystals, within this range, germination and subsequent growth of root and shoot are effective. The result shows significant positive influence on the growth of root and shoot of all seeds in comparison to those of unexposed control germination. Therefore, the result of this experiment has confirmed that the use of saponin capped silver nanocrystals enhances the germination and growth of plants.

The Size-Dependent Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Germination, Early Seedling Development and Polar Metabolite Profile of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

“…Plants respond to Ag NPs in a dose-dependent manner, promoting or inhibiting growth [13][14][15][16]. For example, Ag NPs at concentrations below 40 mg/L can stimulate germination and seedlings growth of some legume species [15,[17][18][19]. In contrast, the inhibition of seedlings growth along with increasing concentrations of Ag NPs was found in Arabidopsis thaliana [18] and also in legumes [15,20] and cereals [21][22][23][24][25].…”

“…Plants respond to Ag NPs in a dose-dependent manner, promoting or inhibiting growth [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. For example, Ag NPs at concentrations below 40 mg/L can stimulate germination and seedlings growth of some legume species [ 15 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…The mechanism of phytotoxicity of Ag NPs against plant cells appears to be similar to that caused against microorganisms [ 13 , 26 , 27 ]. Currently, it is believed that both the concentration and size of Ag NPs are the major factors affecting their phytotoxicity in plants [ 13 , 15 , 16 , 28 ] and in other organisms [ 29 , 30 , 31 ]. The toxic concentrations of Ag NPs on single-celled organisms are in the range of 0.1–20 mg/L, whereas they are 10–100 mg/L on eucaryotic cells in vitro [ 29 ].…”

“…Presumably, small nanoparticles more easily penetrate the pores in the cell walls of the root epidermal cells, which enables their further translocation via apoplastic and symplastic pathways into vascular bundles and then throughout the whole plant [ 13 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. The toxicity of Ag NPs to plants also depends on other nanoparticle’s properties that are related to their methods of synthesis (chemical, physical, or biological), coating/stabilizing agents, application routes (i.e., on seeds before sowing, on leaves/shoots, or into the soil during plants vegetation), and on the physiology and multifaceted anatomy of particular plant species [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 39 , 40 , 41 ].…”

Nanopriming of Barley Seeds—A Shotgun Approach to Improve Germination under Salt Stress Conditions by Regulating of Reactive Oxygen Species

“…In the plant life cycle, seed germination is the first step, which determines plant growth in soils polluted with NPs. Different NPs, such as metal or metal oxide, increase or decrease the seed germination of many plant species [ 16 , 17 ]. Therefore, the response of plants to NPs varies depending on the plant species, as well as the type of NPs, molecular size and concentration [ 18 ].…”