Effects of magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles on wheat plants

IANNONE MF; GROPPA MD; BENAVIDES MP

Congreso; 50 SAIB Sociedad Argentina de Investigación EN Bioquímica y Biología Molecular.; 2014

The rapid development of nanotechnology will inevitably release nanoparticles into the environment with unknown consequences. Moreover, few studies have focused on phytotoxicity of nanomaterials. For that reason, the aim of this work was to evaluate if Fe3O4 nanoparticles are toxic for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants grown under hydroponic conditions by measuring O2.- and H2O2 content, catalase , peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities, electrolyte release, cell death and malondialdehyde content. Visualization of root sections by transmission electron microscopy showed that Fe3O4 nanoparticles (nFe3O4) probably entered through the apoplastic route and were then detected in the root epidermal cell walls. However, nFe3O4 were not found in shoots, implying that nanoparticles could not be transported by vascular tissues in wheat, at least in the experimental conditions of this study. In the concentrations used, nFe3O4 did not modify the cell death percentage, the electrolyte leakage, the malondialdehyde content or the accumulation of H2O2 or O2.-, but the antioxidant enzyme activities increased considerably in roots and shoots compared to control plants. These preliminary results show that these nanoparticles are not phytotoxic, suggesting that nFe3O4 could potentially be useful for the design of new products for agricultural use.