Physiological and biochemical response of soil-grown barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to cerium oxide nanoparticles (original) (raw)

2015, Environmental Science and Pollution Research

A soil microcosm study was performed to examine the impacts of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO 2 ) on the physiology, productivity, and macromolecular composition of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The plants were cultivated in soil treated with nCeO 2 at 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg kg −1 (control, nCeO 2 -L, nCeO 2 -M, and nCeO 2 -H, respectively). Accumulation of Ce in leaves/grains and its effects on plant stress and nutrient loading were analyzed. The data revealed that nCeO 2 -H promoted plant development resulting in 331 % increase in shoot biomass compared with the control. nCeO 2 treatment modified the stress levels in leaves without apparent signs of toxicity. However, plants exposed to nCeO 2 -H treatment did not form grains. Compared with control, nCeO 2 -M enhanced grain Ce accumulation by as much as 294 % which was accompanied by remarkable increases in P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Al. Likewise, nCeO 2 -M enhanced the methionine, aspartic acid, threonine, tyrosine, arginine, and linolenic acid contents in the grains by up to 617, 31, 58, 141, 378, and 2.47 % respectively, compared with the rest of the treatments. The findings illustrate the beneficial and harmful effects of nanoceria in barley.