Journal Article

Modulation of Cellular Redox Status and Antioxidant Defense System after Synergistic Application of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Salicylic Acid in Rice (Oryza sativa) Plant under Arsenic Stress

Shadma Afzal, Fangyuan Yu, Muhammad Faheem Adil, Mohammad Faizan, Shafaque Sehar, Ahmad Faraz, Abdulrahman A. Alatar, Vishnu D. Rajput, Svetlana Sushkova, Mohammad Faisal, Tatiana Minkina, Firoz Akhter

2021

Overview

The objective of this research was to determine the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and/or salicylic acid (SA) under arsenic (As) stress on rice (Oryza sativa). ZnONPs are analyzed for various techniques viz., X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All of these tests established that ZnONPs are pure with no internal defects, and can be potentially used in plant applications. Hence, we further investigated for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the extent of ZnONPs and SA induced oxidative stress damages. More restricted plant growth, gas exchange indices, significant reduction in the SPAD index and maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and brutal decline in protein content were noticed in As-applied plants. In contrast, foliar fertigation of ZnONPs and/or SA to As-stressed rice plants lessens the oxidative stress, as exposed by subordinate levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis. Improved enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), proline and total soluble protein contents under ZnONPs and SA treatment plays an excellent role in the regulation of various transcriptional pathways participated in oxidative stress tolerance. Higher content of nitrogen (N; 13%), phosphorus (P; 10%), potassium (K; 13%), zinc (Zn; 68%), manganese (Mn; 14%), and iron (Fe; 19) in ZnONPs and SA treated plants under As-stress, thus hampered growth and photosynthetic efficiency of rice plants. Our findings suggest that toxicity of As was conquering by the application of ZnONPs and SA in rice plants.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Abiotic stress / antioxidant activity / Antioxidants / Aquaporins / Arsenic / Botany / Catalase / Cell division / decline / Electron microscopy / Enzymatic activity / Enzymes / fertigation / Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy / Fourier transforms / Gas exchange / Gene regulation / Genetically altered foods / Infrared analysis / Infrared spectroscopy / Iron / Lipid peroxidation / Manganese / maximum quantum yield / Nanoparticles / Nitrogen / Oryza sativa / Oxidative stress / Peroxidase / Phosphorus / Photosynthesis / Plant growth / potassium / Proline / protein content / Proteins / QK1-989 / Quantum dots / Reactive oxygen species / Rice / Salicylic acid / Scanning electron microscopy / stress tolerance / super oxide dismutase / Superoxide dismutase / Toxicity / Transcription / transcription (genetics) / Transmission electron microscopy / X-ray diffraction / Zinc / Zinc oxide