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Cadmium (Cd) can harm the yield and quality of vegetables, threatening food safety. Essential microelements such as iron are crucial for plant growth and can help alleviate heavy metal stress. Recently, nanoparticles have been studied as eco-friendly solutions for mitigating heavy metal stress in plants. In the present study, iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) at 0, 100, and 300 mg/L were applied as soil drenches and foliar sprays to tomato plants under cadmium stress. A comparison was made between the application methods of FeNPs by evaluating the growth parameters of tomato plants, including shoot length (SL), root length (RL), number of branches (NB), number of leaves per plant (NL), and leaf area (LA), as well as by assessing biochemical and antioxidant enzyme parameters. In the Cd stress treatment, the protein content decreased by 24.71%, and the phenolic and flavonoid content of the tomato plants also decreased due to cadmium stress, with levels decreasing from 16.07 to 6.9 µg and from 0.36 to 0.16 µg, respectively. Compared with the soil drench, 100 mg/L FeNPs significantly improved the parameters of Cd-stressed plants when used as a foliar spray, leading to increases in shoot length, root length, fruit weight, number of fruits, number of leaves, and number of branches by 42%, 66%, 24%, 66%, 173%, and 45%, respectively. Tomato plants treated with this spray presented increased carotenoid and lycopene contents. FeNP foliar spray also reduced Cd accumulation in plant tissues. This technique shows promise in alleviating Cd stress in vulnerable vegetable plants such as tomatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prevalence of Botrytis cinerea infections has accelerated the need for effective antifungal agents. Traditional chemical methods are often associated with environmental harm, making the green synthesis of nanoparticles an attractive alternative. This study aimed to synthesize and characterize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using extracts from three medicinal plants - Amaranthus viridis L., Mentha piperita L., and Ocimum basilicum L. - and evaluate their antifungal efficacy against Botrytis cinerea. AgNPs were synthesized using methanol extracts of the selected plants and characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The synthesized AgNPs exhibited peak UV-visible absorption at 425 nm, 400 nm, and 420 nm, and had average particle sizes of 1.2 nm, 21.5 nm, and 358 nm for A. viridis, M. piperita, and O. basilicum, respectively. At a concentration of 3%, the AgNPs inhibited B. cinerea growth by 51%, 40.4%, and 39%. Further, an ethyl acetate fraction from A. viridis displayed 50% fungal inhibition at a concentration of 0.20%. GC-MS analysis revealed 15 bioactive compounds in the extracts. The study confirms that AgNPs synthesized from medicinal plants exhibit significant antifungal properties, making them potential candidates for the development of eco-friendly antifungal agents. The findings offer a green and sustainable avenue for the development of new antifungal agents and suggest further studies to optimize the synthesis process and investigate the mechanisms of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research focused on the potential role of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and potassium (K+) in mitigation of arsenic (As) toxicity in Vicia faba L. seedlings. Faba bean seedlings were grown for 30 days in potted soil. As stress curtailed root and shoot length, chlorophyll (Chl) content and net photosynthetic rate in V. faba seedlings. However, ZnONPs and K+ curtailed As stress in faba bean seedling through enhanced activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) enzyme. Furthermore, ZnONPs and K+ significantly enhanced cysteine (Cys) content and serine acetyletransferase (SAT) activity in faba bean seedling exposed to As-toxificated soil. Application of ZnONPs and K+ curtailed superoxide ionic content and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation in V. faba seedlings exposed to As-polluted soil. Nitric oxide (NO) content also increased in faba bean seedlings treated with ZnONPs and K+ in normal and As-polluted soil. As stress alleviation was credited to reduce As uptake in faba bean seedlings treated with synergistic application of ZnONPs and K+. It is proposed that K+ interaction with nanoparticles can be exploited at molecular level to understand the mechanisms involved in abiotic stress tolerance. Recently, Industrialisation and modern approaches have increased the level of arsenic in our environment. Higher concentration of arsenic has reduced growth of plants. This paper focuses on the role of nanoparticles in reduction of toxic effects of heavy metals. Results clearly state that nanoparticles can be used in combination with potassium silicate to enhance crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research work focuses on the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on drought-sensitive wheat variety (Faisalabad-2008) under two experimental conditions (normal irrigation and drought conditions). ZnONPs were prepared by utilizing water extract of black pepper. The formation of nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-VIS spectrophotometer, particle size analyzer, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). To screen the optimum concentration of ZnONPs, a range of doses (10-2000 mg L-1) was applied to wheat seeds. Results indicated that ZnONPs (250 mg L-1) improved germination. This concentration was selected for further studies with two control treatments i.e., negative control (water) and positive control (ZnSO4 salt 250 mg L-1). ZnONPs treatment (250 mg L-1) improved germination (26.82%), shoot length (7.4%), root length (36%), fresh weight (28.6%), and dry weight (26.6%). Treatment of wheat plants with ZnONPs during drought stress increased germination percentage, root length, fresh & dry weight by 53.33, 40, 50, and 28.6 % respectively. Moreover, studies showed that chlorophyll, carotenoids and phenolic content were also increased by ZnONPs treatment by 57.4, 77.27, and 25% respectively as compared to control. Malondialdehyde content was significantly lower in nanoparticles treated plants as compared to Zn salt-treated plants. Zn content of seeds was also significantly higher for ZnONPs treated plants. It suggests the potential of ZnONPs designed by the green method as a nano fertilizer in ameliorating drought stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]