Alleviation of cadmium stress and improved growth performance of periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus L.) by foliar application of zinc oxide nanoparticles
Author(s)
Date Issued
2025
Type
article
Volume
176
Start Page
129
End Page
140
Journal
Abstract
ABSTRACTCadmium(Cd)isanonessentialandverytoxicelementthatconfinesthegrowthofornamentalplantsworld-wide.Nanoparticles(NPs)havebeenusedasanovelapproachtoactasnano-fertilizersanddirectlyalleviatetheCdstress.However,itsdefensivemechanismsarenotwellunderstoodinornamental/medicinalplants,especiallyCatharanthusroseus(periwinkle).Theobjectivesofthecurrentexperimentareintendedtoexam-inetheimpactsofzincoxidenanoparticles(ZnO NPs;25mgl-1)onthereductionofoxidativestressbyenhancingantioxidantactivities,physiologicalimprovements,andelementalstatusinperiwinkleplantpartsunderCdstress(0.5mM).TheperiwinkleplantsweretransplantedandexposedtoCdstressoneweeklaterbysoildrenching,whereas,ZnO NPswereappliedafter14daysbyfoliarsupplementation.TheCdtoxicitysignificantlyreducedthemorphologicaltraits,negativelyaffectedthepigmentsandphotosyntheticappara-tus,abridgedantioxidantenzymeactivities,andCdaccrualinperiwinkleplants.However,exogenousZnO NPssupplementationproducedelevatedplantheight,flowernumbers,rootlength,plantfreshanddrybiomass,chlorophyll,andcarotenoidcontentsinCd-stressedplants.Likewise,theZnO NPshavealsoregulatedthegaseousexchangerates,antioxidantenzymes(SOD,CAT,APX),solubleprotein,andfreeprolinecontentsinCd-pollutedperiwinkles.TheapplicationofZnO NPsalsoconsiderablyreducedthehydrogenperoxide( 25%)andmalondialdehyde( 47%),activatedbyCdstress.Furthermore,theZnandCdcontentswerealsoelevatedandreduced,respectively,inZnO NPssuppliedCd-stressedplants.Thepresentexperi-mentrecommendsthattheexogenoussupplementationsofZnO NPsareafeasibleandsustainablestrategyforenhancingthegrowthattributesandreducingtheCdlevelsinperiwinkleplantsinmetal-hoardedsoilconditions.
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