Abstract
Selenium (Se) biofortification of wheat using Se nanoparticles (NPs) represents a promising intervention to address Se deficiency in the global population. However, concerns persist regarding potential health risks associated with NPs exposure, and importantly, the mechanisms of uptake, translocation and transformation of Se NPs in plants remain incompletely understood. Here, a field experiment spanning the full life cycle of wheat was conducted to evaluate the long-term effects of two sizes of Se NPs (∼60 nm and ∼210 nm), compared to conventional ionic Se on crop yield, nutritional profile, and Se biofortification, with a focus on understanding underlying mechanisms of action. Se fertilizers were applied as foliar sprays at the jointing, booting, and filling stages at doses of 5, 10, and 20 g Se/ha, respectively. Results showed that Se NPs outperform traditional ionic Se fertilizers in enhancing wheat yield (27.13%), starch content (20.94%), as well as grain Se concentration (32 times) and bioaccessibility (39.93%). The positive effects can be attributed to the advantages of NPs' size and controlled-release properties, which nutritionally supplement plants through direct uptake and subsequent gradual release of Se ions. Surprisingly, larger Se NPs exhibited better performance than smaller ones, demonstrating higher fertilizer utilization efficiency (up to 59%). Single-particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) revealed that Se NPs efficiently delivered Se to the grain, where it accumulates in ionic form rather than as nanoparticles, thereby avoiding the potential risk of direct human ingestion of NPs. This work advances our understanding of the uptake, transformation, translocation, and ultimate accumulation of Se NPs as part of a wheat biofortification strategy, while also providing information on the long-term implications of Se NPs as a safe and sustainable nanobased agricultural strategy.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Se nanoparticles enhanced wheat yield by 27.13% relative to ionic Se fertilizers.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- Se NPse0
- Outcome
- wheat yielde0
- Direction
- outperforme0
- Value
- 27.13%e0
- Comparator
- traditional ionic Se fertilizerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Se NPs outperform traditional ionic Se fertilizers in enhancing wheat yield (27.13%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Se nanoparticles enhanced wheat starch content by 20.94% relative to ionic Se fertilizers.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Se NPse0
- Outcome
- starch contente0
- Direction
- outperforme0
- Value
- 20.94%e0
- Comparator
- traditional ionic Se fertilizerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Se NPs outperform traditional ionic Se fertilizers in enhancing wheat yield (27.13%), starch content (20.94%)”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Se nanoparticles enhanced wheat grain Se concentration 32 times relative to ionic Se fertilizers.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Organ / stage
- graine0
- Treatment
- Se NPse0
- Outcome
- grain Se concentratione0
- Direction
- outperforme0
- Value
- 32 timese0
- Comparator
- traditional ionic Se fertilizerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Se NPs outperform traditional ionic Se fertilizers in enhancing wheat yield (27.13%), starch content (20.94%), as well as grain Se concentration (32 times)”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Se nanoparticles enhanced grain Se bioaccessibility by 39.93% relative to ionic Se fertilizers.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Organ / stage
- graine0
- Treatment
- Se NPse0
- Outcome
- bioaccessibilitye0
- Direction
- outperforme0
- Value
- 39.93%e0
- Comparator
- traditional ionic Se fertilizerse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Se NPs outperform traditional ionic Se fertilizers in enhancing wheat yield (27.13%), starch content (20.94%), as well as grain Se concentration (32 times) and bioaccessibility (39.93%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Larger Se nanoparticles performed better than smaller ones, with fertilizer utilization efficiency up to 59%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- larger Se NPse0
- Outcome
- fertilizer utilization efficiencye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- up to 59%e0
- Comparator
- smaller onese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“larger Se NPs exhibited better performance than smaller ones, demonstrating higher fertilizer utilization efficiency (up to 59%)”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Se nanoparticles delivered Se to grain, where it accumulated in ionic form rather than nanoparticle form.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Organ / stage
- graine0
- Treatment
- Se NPse0
- Outcome
- Se to the graine0
- Qualifier
- in ionic form rather than as nanoparticlese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Se NPs efficiently delivered Se to the grain, where it accumulates in ionic form rather than as nanoparticles”
t0“Wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attribute the positive effects of Se nanoparticles to direct uptake and gradual release of Se ions.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- NPse0
- Outcome
- positive effectse0
- Qualifier
- direct uptake and subsequent gradual release of Se ionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The positive effects can be attributed to the advantages of NPs' size and controlled-release properties, which nutritionally supplement plants through direct uptake and subsequent gradual release of Se ions”
t0“Wheat”
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