Single and Repeated Applications of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Differently Affect the Growth and Biomass Accumulation of Silene flos-cuculi L. (Caryophyllaceae)

Abstract

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) have a wide variety of applications in industry. Models demonstrated that nCeO2 can reach environmental compartments. Studies regarding the relationships between plants and nCeO2 considered only crop species, whereas a relevant knowledge gap exists regarding wild plant species. Specimens of Silene flos-cuculi (Caryophyllaceae) were grown in greenhouse conditions in a substrate amended with a single dose (D1) and two and three doses (D2 and D3) of 20 mg kg−1 and 200 mg kg−1nCeO2 suspensions, respectively. sp-ICP-MS and ICP-MS data demonstrated that nCeO2 was taken up by plant roots and translocated towards aerial plant fractions. Biometric variables showed that plants responded negatively to the treatments with a shortage in biomass of roots and stems. Although not at relevant concentrations, Ce was accumulated mainly in roots and plant leaves.

Impact of CeO2 nanoparticles on the microbiota of the S. flos-cuculi L. (Caryophyllaceae) rhizosphere

“…The characteristics of nCeO 2 , plant materials and the experimental design were set up as described in a previous study 34 and are summarized in Fig. 1.…”

“…At 60 days from DSE, all plants were harvested. The nCeO 2 doses were chosen on the basis of previous results, 34 which demonstrated that 200 and 400 mg kg −1 were found to be the Environmental Science: Nano Paper most effective in affecting plant growth parameters, with a shortage in biomass of roots and stems, and in nCeO 2 translocation towards aerial plant fractions. The purpose of this protocol was to simulate conditions closer to reality, where plants are probabilistically exposed to CeNPs over a more extended period, at relatively lower concentrations, but through repeated pulses.…”

“…In this regard, starting from a previous study, which reported that nCeO 2 is absorbed by plant roots and translocated toward aerial plant fractions, inducing differences in the development of the treated plants, 34 this work focused on the modification induced by different concentrations of nCeO 2 soil amendments on substrates on the rhizospheric microbiota of S. flos-cuculi L. (Caryophyllaceae). For this purpose, a next-generation sequencing technology (NGS) approach was applied.…”

Special Issue “The Genetic Changes Induced by Engineered Manufactured Nanomaterials (EMNs)”

“…As explained in one of the reviews included in this Special Issue, the number and quantity of nanomaterials is ever increasing and affecting the environment where humans, bacteria, and plants live, and their genome come in contact with nanomaterials [3]. Although the topic of genotoxicity induced by nanomaterials is important, we had only five contributions for this Special Issue: [3][4][5][6][7][8]. Marmiroli et al, 2022 [3], contributed a minireview on the methods used to analyze genotoxicity in plants.…”

“…Lizzi et al, 2021 [4], studied the effects of multiple applications of CeO 2 oxide nanoparticles on a wild plant, Silene flos-cuculi, instead of a classical crop or model plants. They measured the quantity of nanoparticles in the plants utilising a spICP-MS (Single Particle ICP-MS), and other parameters related to the plant biomass.…”