Abstract
Drought is a major abiotic stress that confronts plant growth and productivity, thus compromising food security. Plants use physiological and biochemical mechanisms to cope with drought stress, but at the expense of growth. Green-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) have gained great attention in agriculture due to their environmental friendliness and affordability while serving as potential biofertilizers. This study investigates the role of hematite (αFe2O3) NPs, synthesized from Aspalathus linearis (rooibos), to improve Sorghum bicolor growth under drought stress. About 18 nm, spherical, and highly agglomerated hematite (αFe2O3) NPs were obtained. Sorghum seeds were primed with 5, 10, and 15 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs, and, after seven days of germination, the seedlings were transferred into potting soil, cultivated for fourteen days, and were subsequently water deprived (WD) for a further seven days. A reduction in plant height (78%), fresh (FW; 35%) and dry (DW; 36%) weights, and chlorophyll (chl) content ((total chl (81%), chla (135%), and chlb (1827%)) was observed in WD plants, and this correlated with low nutrients (Mg, Si, P, and K) and alteration in the anatomic structure (epidermis and vascular bundle tissues). Oxidative damage was observed as deep blue (O2●−) and brown (H2O2) spots on the leaves of WD plants, in addition to a 25% and 40% increase in oxidative stress markers (H2O2 and MDA) and osmolytes (proline and total soluble sugars), respectively. Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs improved plant height (70%), FW (56%), DW (34%), total Chl (104%), chla (160%) and chlb (1936%), anatomic structure, and nutrient distribution. Priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs also protected sorghum plants from drought-induced oxidative damage by reducing ROS formation and osmolytes accumulation and prevented biomolecule degradation. The study concludes that green synthesized hematite NPs positively influenced sorghum growth and prevented oxidative damage of biomolecules by improving nutrient uptake and osmoregulation under drought stress.
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Claims 19
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation reduced plant height by 78%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolor
Sorghum bicolort0 - Treatment
- WDe0
- Outcome
- plant heighte0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 78%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A reduction in plant height (78%), fresh (FW; 35%) and dry (DW; 36%) weights, and chlorophyll (chl) content ((total chl (81%), chla (135%), and chlb (1827%)) was observed in WD plants”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation reduced fresh (FW; 35%) by 35%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- WDe0
- Outcome
- fresh (FW; 35%)e0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 35%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A reduction in plant height (78%), fresh (FW; 35%) and dry (DW; 36%) weights, and chlorophyll (chl) content ((total chl (81%), chla (135%), and chlb (1827%)) was observed in WD plants”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation reduced dry (DW; 36%) by 36%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- WDe0
- Outcome
- dry (DW; 36%)e0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- 36%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A reduction in plant height (78%), fresh (FW; 35%) and dry (DW; 36%) weights, and chlorophyll (chl) content ((total chl (81%), chla (135%), and chlb (1827%)) was observed in WD plants”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation reduced total chl by 81%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A reduction in plant height (78%), fresh (FW; 35%) and dry (DW; 36%) weights, and chlorophyll (chl) content ((total chl (81%), chla (135%), and chlb (1827%)) was observed in WD plants”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation reduced chla by 135%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A reduction in plant height (78%), fresh (FW; 35%) and dry (DW; 36%) weights, and chlorophyll (chl) content ((total chl (81%), chla (135%), and chlb (1827%)) was observed in WD plants”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation reduced chlb by 1827%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A reduction in plant height (78%), fresh (FW; 35%) and dry (DW; 36%) weights, and chlorophyll (chl) content ((total chl (81%), chla (135%), and chlb (1827%)) was observed in WD plants”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water-deprived plants had low nutrients and altered anatomy.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Outcome
- low nutrients (Mg, Si, P, and K) and alteration in the anatomic structuree0
- Direction
- lowe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“this correlated with low nutrients (Mg, Si, P, and K) and alteration in the anatomic structure (epidermis and vascular bundle tissues).”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation produced visible leaf oxidative damage.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Outcome
- Oxidative damagee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Oxidative damage was observed as deep blue (O2●−) and brown (H2O2) spots on the leaves of WD plants”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation increased oxidative stress markers by 25%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- WDe0
- Outcome
- oxidative stress markers (H2O2 and MDA)e0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 25%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“WD plants, in addition to a 25% and 40% increase in oxidative stress markers (H2O2 and MDA) and osmolytes (proline and total soluble sugars), respectively.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Water deprivation increased osmolytes by 40%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- WDe0
- Outcome
- osmolytes (proline and total soluble sugars)e0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 40%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“WD plants, in addition to a 25% and 40% increase in oxidative stress markers (H2O2 and MDA) and osmolytes (proline and total soluble sugars), respectively.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming improved plant height by 70%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPse0
- Outcome
- plant heighte0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 70%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs improved plant height (70%), FW (56%), DW (34%), total Chl (104%), chla (160%) and chlb (1936%), anatomic structure, and nutrient distribution.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming improved FW by 56%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPse0
- Outcome
- FWe0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 56%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs improved plant height (70%), FW (56%), DW (34%), total Chl (104%), chla (160%) and chlb (1936%), anatomic structure, and nutrient distribution.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming improved DW by 34%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPse0
- Outcome
- DWe0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 34%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs improved plant height (70%), FW (56%), DW (34%), total Chl (104%), chla (160%) and chlb (1936%), anatomic structure, and nutrient distribution.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming improved total Chl by 104%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPse0
- Outcome
- total Chle0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 104%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs improved plant height (70%), FW (56%), DW (34%), total Chl (104%), chla (160%) and chlb (1936%), anatomic structure, and nutrient distribution.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming improved chla by 160%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPse0
- Outcome
- chlae0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 160%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs improved plant height (70%), FW (56%), DW (34%), total Chl (104%), chla (160%) and chlb (1936%), anatomic structure, and nutrient distribution.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming improved chlb by 1936%.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPse0
- Outcome
- chlbe0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Value
- 1936%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs improved plant height (70%), FW (56%), DW (34%), total Chl (104%), chla (160%) and chlb (1936%), anatomic structure, and nutrient distribution.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming improved anatomy and nutrient distribution.
- Taxon
- Sorghum bicolorSorghum bicolort0
- Treatment
- Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPse0
- Outcome
- anatomic structure, and nutrient distributione0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs improved plant height (70%), FW (56%), DW (34%), total Chl (104%), chla (160%) and chlb (1936%), anatomic structure, and nutrient distribution.”
t0“Sorghum bicolor”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming reduced ROS and osmolyte accumulation.
- Treatment
- Priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPse0
- Outcome
- ROS formation and osmolytes accumulatione0
- Direction
- reducinge0
SorghumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs also protected sorghum plants from drought-induced oxidative damage by reducing ROS formation and osmolytes accumulation and prevented biomolecule degradation.”
Claim · model-written summary
Nanoparticle priming prevented biomolecule degradation.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Priming with 10 mg/L αFe2O3 NPs also protected sorghum plants from drought-induced oxidative damage by reducing ROS formation and osmolytes accumulation and prevented biomolecule degradation.”
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