EFFECT OF MAGNETITE NANOPARTICLES ON ALFALFA (MEDICAGO SATIVA L.) PLANTS

GROPPA M.D.; ZAWOZNIK M.S.; IANNONE M.F.; ROSSI J.I.; BENAVIDES M.P.

Ciudad de Córdoba

Congreso; LII Reunión Anual Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2016

The use of nanomaterials has considerably increased during the last decade; however, their effects on plants and other ecosystem components are still controversial. Because they typically exhibit high surface/volume ratio, metal nanoparticles are expected to be more reactive than their corresponding bulk elements.The aim of this work was to evaluate if magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) are toxic to alfalfa plants. Alfalfa is a traditional component of argentine pastures dedicated to livestock. Two Fe3O4-NPs doses (50 and 100 mg L-1) were tested; we focused on plant growth and oxidative damage. Total biomass significantly increased in alfalfa seedlings exposed to both Fe3O4-NPs concentrations, likewise, root length and root surface area were significantly higher in NPs-exposed plants: root surface area almost doubled that of control plants. Chlorophyll content was also significantly enhanced in plants exposed to NPs. No evidence of oxidative damage by exploring traditional oxidative stress markers (H2O2, O2.-, MDA content) nor cell death (assayed by Evans blue staining) was detected in alfalfa tissues after exposition to Fe3O4-NPs. We conclude that at the doses tested, Fe3O4-NPs not only lack of phytoxicity on alfalfa plants, but they stimulate seedling growth and chlorophyll biosynthesis, thus becoming good candidates for the design of new products targeted to agricultural use.