Prominent Effects of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Roots of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Grown under Salinity Stress

Abstract

The morphological plasticity of plant roots is a key factor in their ability to tolerate a wide range of edaphic stresses. There are many unanswered questions relating to nanotechnology and its potential uses for sustainable agriculture. The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of salinity-induced morphogenic responses and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on root characteristics, growth, MDA content, antioxidant enzymatic activity, and root ion accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment was conducted in a hydroponic culture containing 50 mg/L of ZnO-NPs and different concentrations (60, 80, and 100 mM) of NaCl for 14 days. The results indicated a decrease in rice root growth due to exposure to salinity (length, fresh, and root dry weight). The results showed that salinity caused a reduction in rice root growth (length, fresh, and root dry weight). Higher root sodium (Na+) accumulation, MDA content, and potassium level decreased with increasing salinity. Root length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, root K+ content, and root antioxidant enzymatic activity were all enhanced by applying 50 mg/L ZnO-NPs often in salinity. SEM analysis revealed that ZnO-NPs treatments significantly improved root morphology. There was a notable decrease in root Na+ content as a result, which improved the K+/Na+ ratio in the rice’s root system. These findings suggest that O. sativa, when treated with ZnO-NPs, can thrive under salt-stress conditions, opening up the possibility of cultivating the plant in extreme climates.

Role of zinc oxide nanoparticles in alleviating sodium chloride-induced salt stress in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

“…Plants of maize and cotton also produced comparable results [54,56]. In earlier studies, a link was found between an increase in harmful ions (Na + and Cl -) and a decrease in the absorption of critical components required for growth, as seen by the high Na + /K + ratio for salt-treated basil plants [62,88]. Salinity also causes a significant reduction in the fruit and seed yield of commercially important crops [14,53,54,89,90].…”

“…Therefore, the foliar spray of Zn as ZnO NPs helps provide the nutritional requirements of Zn in the plants [33]. In the agriculture sector, Zn doses proved potent to reduce salinityinduced toxicity on basil plants [62], but the foliar spray of NPs such as ZnO and other nutrients released in a controlled manner made the macromolecule delivery more selective and effective [21,88,105]. Foliar spray of ZnO NPs also enhances the expression level of genes encoding Rubisco-and chlorophyll-binding proteins, increases proline production and accumulation, and increases the antioxidant activity of plants by regulating the gene activation responsible for proline production and antioxidant activities [21,84,86,105].…”

Impact of Salinity Stress and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Macro and Micronutrient Assimilation: Unraveling the Link between Environmental Factors and Nutrient Uptake

“…The mechanisms underlying the enhanced Cu 2+ and Mn 2+ uptake by ZnO-NPs is multifaceted. ZnO-NPs enhance the root surface area, providing more sites for Cu 2+ and Mn 2+ adsorption (Abuhatab et al, 2020;Singh et al, 2022b). These nanoparticles also stimulate root hair development, increasing nutrient absorption capacity.…”

Effects of environmental metal and metalloid pollutants on plants and human health: exploring nano-remediation approach

“…However, the outer layers of the root hair and root tip epidermis of both primary and secondary plant roots are still developing. Here, the exposure of NPs causes them to immediately enter and come into contact with the root epidermis (Rajput et al 2018 ; Singh et al 2022 ). Root epidermal cells have a permeable cell membrane that allows certain nutrients as well as water to pass through.…”