Abstract
Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) have received increasing attention due to their widespread therapeutic and agricultural applicability. In the environmental field, dry powder- and ferrofluid-suspended cobalt ferrite NPs were found to be useful for removing heavy metals and metalloids from water, while diluted suspensions of cobalt ferrite NP have been promisingly applied in medicine. However, the potential toxicological implications of widespread exposure are still unknown. Since cobalt ferrite NPs are considered residual wastes of environmental or medical applications, plants may serve as a point-of-entry for engineered nanomaterials as a result of consumption of these plants. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of dry powder and fresh cobalt ferrite NP on wheat plants. Seven-day assays were conducted, using quartz sand as the plant growth substrate. The toxicity end points measured were seed germination, root and shoot lengths, total cobalt (Co) and iron (Fe) accumulation, photosynthetic pigment production, protein (PRT) production, and activities of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX). Increasing total Co and Fe in plant tissues indicated that wheat plants were exposed to cobalt ferrite NP. Seed germination and shoot length were not sufficiently sensitive toxicity end points. The effective concentration (EC50) that diminished root length of plants by 50% was 1963 mg/kg for fresh ferrite NPs and 5023 mg/kg for powder ferrite NP. Hence, fresh ferrite NPs were more toxic than powder NP. Plant stress was indicated by a significant decrease in photosynthetic pigments. CAT, APX, and GPX antioxidant enzymatic activity suggested the generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage induced by cobalt ferrite NP. More studies are thus necessary to determine whether the benefits of using these NPs outweigh the risks.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Cobalt and iron accumulated in wheat tissues exposed to cobalt ferrite nanoparticles.
- Taxon
- wheat plants
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- cobalt ferrite NPe0
- Outcome
- total Co and Fe in plant tissuese0
- Direction
- Increasinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing total Co and Fe in plant tissues indicated that wheat plants were exposed to cobalt ferrite NP”
Claim · model-written summary
Seed germination and shoot length were insensitive toxicity endpoints in this wheat assay.
- Taxon
- wheat plantsTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- Seed germination and shoot lengthe0
- Qualifier
- not sufficiently sensitivee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed germination and shoot length were not sufficiently sensitive toxicity end points”
t0“wheat plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Fresh ferrite nanoparticles reduced wheat root length by 50% at 1963 mg/kg.
- Taxon
- wheat plantsTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- fresh ferrite NPse0
- Outcome
- root lengthe0
- Direction
- diminishede0
- Value
- 1963 mg/kge0
- Qualifier
- 50%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The effective concentration (EC50) that diminished root length of plants by 50% was 1963 mg/kg for fresh ferrite NPs”
t0“wheat plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Powder ferrite nanoparticles had a root-length EC50 of 5023 mg/kg.
- Taxon
- wheat plantsTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- powder ferrite NPe0
- Outcome
- root lengthe0
- Direction
- diminishede0
- Value
- 5023 mg/kge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The effective concentration (EC50) that diminished root length of plants by 50% was 1963 mg/kg for fresh ferrite NPs and 5023 mg/kg for powder ferrite NP”
t0“wheat plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Fresh ferrite nanoparticles were more toxic to wheat than powder nanoparticles.
- Taxon
- wheat plantsTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- fresh ferrite NPse0
- Outcome
- toxice0
- Direction
- more toxice0
- Comparator
- powder NPe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fresh ferrite NPs were more toxic than powder NP”
t0“wheat plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle exposure significantly decreased wheat photosynthetic pigments.
- Taxon
- wheat plantsTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- cobalt ferrite NPe0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic pigmentse0
- Direction
- decreasee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing total Co and Fe in plant tissues indicated that wheat plants were exposed to cobalt ferrite NP. Seed germination and shoot length were not sufficiently sensitive toxicity end points. The effective concentration (EC50) that diminished root length of plants by 50% was 1963 mg/kg for fresh ferrite NPs and 5023 mg/kg for powder ferrite NP. Hence, fresh ferrite NPs were more toxic than powder NP. Plant stress was indicated by a significant decrease in photosynthetic pigments”
t0“wheat plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Antioxidant enzyme activity suggested reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative damage from cobalt ferrite nanoparticles.
- Taxon
- wheat plantsTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- cobalt ferrite NPe0
- Gene
- CAT, APX, and GPXe0
- Outcome
- reactive oxygen species and oxidative damagee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“CAT, APX, and GPX antioxidant enzymatic activity suggested the generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage induced by cobalt ferrite NP”
t0“wheat plants”
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