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In this study, we used aqueous extracts of fern spores and solution of AgNO3 and HAuCl4 for the synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles Au:Ag in different proportions: 1:1 and 1:10. The spores used come from 2 species of ferns: Asplenium scolopendrium and Dryopteris filix-mas. For the characterization of the extracts with or without bimetallic nanoparticles we applied Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Phytotoxicity was tested using Pisum sativum seeds. Each extract was tested in 2 dilutions: 1:10 (D10) and 1:100 (D100). The parameters, which we determinate were the root and stem growth and fresh biomass. Root growth was stimulated in variants with Asplenium scolopendrium extract: without nanoparticles both dilution and with Au:Ag nanoparticles 1:10 D10. The highest values obtained for the stem were at D10 at the variants with Asplenium scolopendrium extract with or without bimetallic nanoparticles. The influence of extracts on fresh biomass was smaller than on the growth of root and stem.

In this study we evaluate the influence of cadmium (Cd) on the spores from Athyrium filix-femina (Linnaeus) Roth (1799), Dryopteris filix-mas (Linnaeus) Schott (1834) and D. affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenkins (1979) starting with the gametophyte and sporophyte differentiation and continued with the biochemical changes. For spores cultivation we used soil treated with Knop solution in which different amounts of Cd acetate were dissolved and we obtained the folowing variants: V1Cd = 0,01g Cd2+kg-1; V2Cd = 0,02 g Cd2+kg-1; V3Cd = 0,05 g Cd2+kg-1; V4Cd = 0,1 g Cd2+kg-1. For 4 months we monitored the gametophyte and sporophyte differentiation and after that we determinate the amount of photosynthetic pigments and the content of polyphenols. Over time, the differences between the variants regarding the differentiation of gametophyte were reduced, and the sporophyte appeared in all variants. The smallest concentration of Cd stimulate the amount of assimilatory pigments and the content of polyphenols increased at the highest concentrations of Cd.

Plants based synthesis of Ag and Au nanoparticles represent one of the most important focus of researchers due to their applications and catalytic activities. We utilized various techniques to obtain extracts with bimetallic nanoparticles from Asplenium scolopendrium leaves; we tested the following variants: M - microwave extract, M NP - microwave extract with nanoparticles Au-Ag, C - extract obtained in the oven, C NP - extract obtained in the oven with nanoparticles Au-Ag, H - hydroalcoholic solution; for each extract were made 2 dilutions: 1:10 and 1:100. The germinative percent was used to quantify the effect of the extracts with/without bimetallic nanoparticles on Asplenium scolopendrium and Dryopteris filix-mas spores. In the variants with bimetallic nanoparticles, regardless species, dilution or obtaining technique, after 1 week no germination was recorded and after one month the situation was the same. Also, no germination was observed in the variants without bimetallic nanoparticles with 1:10 dilution. In both species, at 1:100 dilution, the variants with the extract obtained using microwave technique (without nanoparticles) recorded a higher germinative percent than the other variants with extract.

The test conducted on wheat (Triticum aestivum) is frequently used as a prescreening test for phytotoxicity studies in higher plants due to its advantages: quick results, simplified operative procedure, good reproducibility and repeatability and reduced costs. The laboratory methodology for the Triticum test (Constantinescu method) is applied by different authors with some modifications imposed by the properties of the tested substance (structural formula, purity, solubility in water or other solvents, stability in water or solvent, and biodegradability). The potential of the genus Triticum to be used for toxicity tests is demonstrated by the numerous research studies that evaluated different categories of substances determining different morphological, physiological, biochemical and genetic parameters.

Metallic nanoparticles represent an important area of research, as their unique properties can be tuned for the desired application. Several “green” methods were proposed for obtaining metallic nanoparticles, including phytosynthesis (using natural extracts) and radiation-assisted synthesis. The present work studies the differences in terms of biological properties (antimicrobial properties, cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity) of silver nanoparticles obtained using those two very different approaches. The obtained nanoparticles were analytically characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and UV–Vis spectrometry, for the evaluation of their morphological properties, which can be linked to their biological properties. The results showed that the radiation-assisted path led to smaller dimension nanoparticles (7–10 nm), while the phytosynthesis led to nanoparticles with 10–12 nm in diameter (as determined by XRD), depending on the used materials. The phytosynthesized nanoparticles seemed to be more effective antimicrobial agents (effect studied against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231), while those obtained by the radiological path had a stronger mitoinhibitory effect. The growth of the root and of the stem was less affected by the samples containing radiological synthesized nanoparticles. The differences in terms of biological activity observed when modifying the agents used for the reduction of the metallic salt are also discussed.

The area of phytosynthesized nanomaterials is rapidly developing, with numerous studies being published yearly. The use of plant extracts is an alternative method to reduce the toxic potential of the nanomaterials and the interest in obtaining phytosynthesized nanoparticles is usually directed towards accessible and common plant species, ferns not being explored to their real potential in this field. The developed nanoparticles could benefit from their superior antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (compared with the nanoparticles obtained by other routes), thus proposing an important alternative against health care-associated and drug-resistant infections, as well as in other types of applications. The present review aims to summarize the explored application of ferns in nanotechnology and related areas, as well as the current bottlenecks and future perspectives, as emerging from the literature data.

In this study, we aimed to establish the influence of aqueous ferns extracts on the growth in length of the cucumber root. [...]

The aim of this study was to determine the physiological response and the defensive potential in species Asplenium scolopendrium L. and Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott under the action of nickel. The following experimental variants were tested: 0, 250, 500, 1000, 1500 mg Ni kg-1soil. One month, and three months respectively, after the initiation of the experiment, the amount of assimilating pigments was determined. One month after the initiation of the experiment, there were no significant differences between the variants with Ni and the control as far as the content of chlorophyll (a and b) and carotenoids was concerned. The results obtained three months after the inception of the experiment indicate that, at low concentrations, Ni stimulates the synthesis of chlorophyll. In the same period there occurred antioxidant mechanisms: increase in the amount of carotenoids and increased activity of catalase. In the species Dryopteris filix-mas, the variant with 1.000 mg Ni kg-1soil, the amount of chlorophyll was significantly reduced, and the catalase activity was 3 times higher than that obtained in the control group.

The aim of this study was to establish the influence of ferns extracts (Asplenium scolopendrium and Dryopteris filix-mas) [...]

Gamma irradiation represents a method extensively used for the sterilization of natural products, thus leading to the extension of the products’ shelf life. However, a limited number of studies presented the effects of irradiation on the biological properties of the extracts. The present work aims to evaluate the effects of gamma irradiation on the biological properties (antimicrobial, cytotoxic and phytotoxic) of two types of hydroalcoholic fern extracts (obtained from leaves of Asplenium scolopendrium L.). The results obtained revealed that the extracts are not negatively affected by the irradiation procedure, the antimicrobial properties being enhanced, especially at a radiation dose of 0.6 kGy. The same observations were made for the cytotoxic and phytotoxic properties.

In this work we aimed to study the influence of Zn, Cu and Pb compounds on spore germination and gametophyte development in the species Dryopteris affinis (Lowe) Fraser-Jenkins and Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott. The following initial variants were prepared: V1Cu 140 mg•L-1 Knop solution, V1Zn 300 mg•L-1 Knop solution, V1Pb 300 mg•L-1 Knop solution. From these variants we considered V2 and V32 as the concentrations, respectively, 5 and 10 times higher than the initial ones. The percentage of spores germinated was noted to decrease with the increase in the metal concentration in the solution so that there are significant differences between the control and metal variants; in some variants there was no germination reported: in V3Pb in both species and in V2Pb in the Dryopteris filix-mas. With regard to the gametophyte differentiation in very few variants, the stage of chordate prothallus was reached (C, V1Pb, V1Zn: in the two species). In V2 and V3, regardless of the species and metal, the spores and filaments turn to necrosis.

The paper aims to determine the lead-induced physiological, biochemical and enzymatic changes in Asplenium scolopendrium, which could represent biomarkers used in environmental assessment. Of all the physiological processes, photosynthesis and respiration were analyzed and the enzymatic and biochemical determinations focused on catalase activity, assimilatory pigment concentration, polyphenol content and lead presence in tissues.The stress induced by the exposure to Pb of the species Asplenium scolopendrium determined an increase in the carotenoid content, the catalase activity, the total polyphenol content and also enhanced the respiration potential. No significant changes were recorded regarding the chlorophyll content and the photosynthetic activity. The recorded changes may be used as non-specific markers in the assessment of the impact of Pb on plants (Asplenium scolopendrium).

It is considered that ferns could present new adaptations to the action of stress factors as a result of the wide geographical spread and the diversity of the habitats in which they vegetate, adaptations that could allow them, among other things, hyper-accumulation of metals. This article aims at a brief overview of the results obtained in experimental research aimed at using pteridophytes in phytoremediation.