Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) have been exploited in a diverse range of products in the past decade or so. However, the biosafety/environmental impact or legislation pertaining to this newly created, highly functional composites containing NPs (otherwise called nanomaterials) is generally lagging behind their technological innovation. To advance the agenda in this area, our current primary interest is focused on using crops as model systems as they have very close relationship with us. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the biological effects of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles towards watermelon seedlings. We have systematically studied the physiological effects of Fe2O3 nanoparticles (nano-Fe2O3) on watermelon, and present the first evidence that a significant amount of Fe2O3 nanoparticles suspended in a liquid medium can be taken up by watermelon plants and translocated throughout the plant tissues. Changes in important physiological indicators, such as root activity, activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), chlorophyll and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content were clearly presented. Different concentrations of nano-Fe2O3 all increased seed germination, seedling growth, and enhanced physiological function to some degree; and the positive effects increased quickly and then slowed with an increase in the treatment concentrations. Changes in CAT, SOD and POD activities due to nano-Fe2O3 were significantly larger than that of the control. The 20 mg/L treatment had the most obvious effect on the increase of root activity. Ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content, and watermelon biomass were significantly affected by exposure to nano-Fe2O3. Results of statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in all the above indexes between the treatment at optimal concentration and the control. This proved that the proper concentration of nano-Fe2O3 could not only increase seed germination and seedling growth, but also ultimately improve physiological function and resistance to environmental stresses of watermelon.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Watermelon plants took up and translocated Fe2O3 nanoparticles.
- Taxon
- watermelon
Citrullus lanatuse0 - Treatment
- Fe2O3 nanoparticlese0
- Outcome
- taken up by watermelon plants and translocated throughout the plant tissuese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a significant amount of Fe2O3 nanoparticles suspended in a liquid medium can be taken up by watermelon plants and translocated throughout the plant tissues”
Claim · model-written summary
Nano-Fe2O3 increased watermelon seed germination and seedling growth across tested concentrations.
- Treatment
- Different concentrations of nano-Fe2O3e0
- Outcome
- seed germination, seedling growthe0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“Different concentrations of nano-Fe2O3 all increased seed germination, seedling growth, and enhanced physiological function to some degree”
Claim · model-written summary
Nano-Fe2O3 enhanced watermelon physiological function, with benefits rising rapidly then slowing at higher concentrations.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- treatment concentrationse0
- Outcome
- physiological functione0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“enhanced physiological function to some degree; and the positive effects increased quickly and then slowed with an increase in the treatment concentrations”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
CAT, SOD and POD activity changes under nano-Fe2O3 were significantly larger than control.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- nano-Fe2O3e0
- Outcome
- CAT, SOD and POD activitiese0
- Direction
- largere0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Changes in CAT, SOD and POD activities due to nano-Fe2O3 were significantly larger than that of the control.”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
The 20 mg/L treatment produced the most obvious increase in root activity.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- 20 mg/L treatmente0
- Outcome
- root activitye0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The 20 mg/L treatment had the most obvious effect on the increase of root activity.”
t0“Watermelon”
Claim · model-written summary
Nano-Fe2O3 significantly affected ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content and biomass.
- Taxon
- watermelonCitrullus lanatuse0
- Treatment
- nano-Fe2O3e0
- Outcome
- Ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content, and watermelon biomasse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Ferric reductase activity, root apoplastic iron content, and watermelon biomass were significantly affected by exposure to nano-Fe2O3.”
Claim · model-written summary
All measured indexes differed significantly between optimal nano-Fe2O3 concentration and control.
- Taxon
- WatermelonCitrullus lanatust0
- Treatment
- treatment at optimal concentratione0
- Outcome
- all the above indexese0
- Comparator
- controle0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there were significant differences in all the above indexes between the treatment at optimal concentration and the control”
t0“Watermelon”
The same questions in other papers
nanoparticle · growth · Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.