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BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION It is imperative to enhance the quality of sprouts since they are a rich source of various primary and secondary metabolites. The objective of this work was to examine how multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) priming at various concentrations affected the nutritional qualities of four horticultural plants (T. foenum‐graecum, L. grandiflorum, L. sativum and A. graveolens) and their sprouting processes.Among the four applied concentrations (10–60 mgL−1), MWCNTs at 10 and 40 mg L⁻¹ induced the highest biomass accumulation in L. grandiflorum and T. foenum‐graecum, respectively, while 60 mg L⁻¹ was most effective for L. sativum and A. graveolent. MWCNTs induced growth by enhancing photosynthesis, as shown by increased chlorophyll content and rubisco activity, which rose by 27%, 17%, 23% and 12% in T. foenum‐graecum, L. grandiflorum, L. sativum, and A. graveolens, respectively. Enhanced photosynthesis by MWCNTs improved sugar metabolism as indicated by increased activity of sugar metabolic enzymes such as amylase, starch synthase and invertase. This also supplied the carbon necessary for the production of primary (amino acids, fatty acids and organic acids) and secondary (flavonoids and polyphenols) metabolites. There was consistently higher activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase). Interestingly, species‐specific reactions to MWCNT priming were observed, where L. sativum sprouts showed the highest antioxidant activity, followed by A. graveolens.MWCNT priming improves sprout growth and nutritional quality by boosting metabolic processes and antioxidant activity, presenting a promising approach for sustainable agriculture. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sprouts are well known for having a remarkable nutritional profile. Enhancing plant chemical composition and quality of sprouts is essential since these metabolites offer numerous health advantages. To this end, this study aimed to investigate the effects of priming with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the growth and nitrogen (N) metabolism of four horticultural plants, namely, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Linium grandiflorum, Lepidium sativum, and Anethum gravelones. The properties of our synthesized MWCNTs included three characteristic peaks 3434, 1539, and 1068 cm−1 attributable to the stretching vibration of O–H, bending vibration, and C − O, respectively. MWCNT priming increased the sprouting process by inducing biomass and protein accumulation. MWCNT priming improved N metabolism, including amino acid and polyamine metabolism. At the amino acid level, there was an increase in amino acid levels (e.g., glycine, lysine, asparagine, and glutamic acid) as well as their metabolic enzyme activities, including glutamine synthetase (GS), threonine synthetase (TS), and glutamate synthetase (GOGAT). Increased polyamine levels like spermine, putrescine, and spermidine were also associated with boosting their related biosynthetic enzyme activities, i.e., arginine decarboxylase (ADC), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), spermidine synthase, and spermine synthase (SpmS). This improvement of nitrogen metabolic pathways highlights the potential of MWCNT to boost the chemical composition of horticultural plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]