Investigating the effect of foliar application of chitosan nanoparticles on photosynthetic pigments and some enzymatic antioxidants

Subject Areas : Plant physiology

Seyedeh Nasrin Veqhar Mooavi ¹ , Sara Saadatmand ² , rashid jamei ^{3 *} , رضا درویش زاده ⁴

1 - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran
2 - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 -
4 - دانشگاه ارومیه

Received: 2024-09-27 Accepted : 2024-11-04 Published : 2025-01-07

Keywords: Antioxidants, Foliar application, sustainable agriculture, chitosan, nanoparticles,

Abstract :

This study evaluated the physiological responses of corn seedlings following the foliar application of chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs). The CSNPs-mediated changes in enzymatic antioxidants and photosynthetic pigments were investigated. Ten-day-old corn seedlings were sprayed with CSNPs at concentrations of 0 (control), 50 and 100 mg/L for five consecutive days. Foliar application of CSNPs at both concentrations significantly increased leaf fresh weight compared to the control group. A significant increase in the root fresh weight also resulted from the foliar application of CSNPs. Foliar spraying with CSNPs was associated with a significant increase in the concentration of photosynthetic pigments, including chlorophylls (Chl a and Chl b), and carotenoids. Compared to the control group, the foliar utilization of CSNPs led to a significant stimulation in catalase activity. The activity of the polyphenol oxidase enzyme had an upward trend in response to the application of CSNPs. The activity of the superoxide dismutase enzyme also showed a significant increase due to the use of CSNPs compared to the control. In a similar trend, CSNPs had a stimulating effect on glutathione reductase enzyme activity compared to the control group. According to the results of this research, the foliar application of CSNPs is significantly associated with an increase in photosynthetic pigments and induction in enzymatic antioxidants, thereby improving plant growth and resistance to stresses.

References:

Abuelsoud, W., Saleh, A.M., Mohammed, A.E., Alotaibi, M.O. and AbdElgawad, H., 2023. Chitosan nanoparticles upregulate C and N metabolism in soybean plants grown under elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 252, p.126434.
Ali, E.F., El-Shehawi, A.M., Ibrahim, O.H.M., Abdul-Hafeez, E.Y., Moussa, M.M. and Hassan, F.A.S., 2021. A vital role of chitosan nanoparticles in improvisation the drought stress tolerance in Catharanthus roseus (L.) through biochemical and gene expression modulation. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 161, pp.166-175.
Arya, S.S., Rookes, J.E., Cahill, D.M. and Lenka, S.K., 2022. Chitosan nanoparticles and their combination with methyl jasmonate for the elicitation of phenolics and flavonoids in plant cell suspension cultures. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 214, pp.632-641.
Attaran Dowom, S., Karimian, Z., Mostafaei Dehnavi, M. and Samiei, L., 2022. Chitosan nanoparticles improve physiological and biochemical responses of Salvia abrotanoides (Kar.) under drought stress. BMC Plant Biology, 22(1), p.364.
Balusamy, S.R., Rahimi, S., Sukweenadhi, J., Sunderraj, S., Shanmugam, R., Thangavelu, L., Mijakovic, I. and Perumalsamy, H., 2022. Chitosan, chitosan nanoparticles and modified chitosan biomaterials, a potential tool to combat salinity stress in plants. Carbohydrate Polymers, 284, p.119189.
Chun, S.C. and Chandrasekaran, M., 2019. Chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles induced expression of pathogenesis-related proteins genes enhances biotic stress tolerance in tomato. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 125, pp.948-954.
El Amerany, F., Meddich, A., Wahbi, S., Porzel, A., Taourirte, M., Rhazi, M. and Hause, B., 2020. Foliar application of chitosan increases tomato growth and influences mycorrhization and expression of endochitinase-encoding genes. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(2), p.535.
Esyanti, R.R., Dwivany, F.M., Mahani, S., Nugrahapraja, H. and Meitha, K., 2019. Foliar application of chitosan enhances growth and modulates expression of defense genes in chilli pepper ('Capsicum annuum'L.). Australian Journal of Crop Science, 13(1), pp.55-60.
Geng, W., Li, Z., Hassan, M.J. and Peng, Y., 2020. Chitosan regulates metabolic balance, polyamine accumulation, and Na+ transport contributing to salt tolerance in creeping bentgrass. BMC Plant Biology, 20, 506. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-02720-w
Hassan, F.A.S., Ali, E., Gaber, A., Fetouh, M.I. and Mazrou, R., 2021. Chitosan nanoparticles effectively combat salinity stress by enhancing antioxidant activity and alkaloid biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 162, pp.291-300.
Lichtenthaler, H.K., 1987. Chlorophylls and carotenoids: pigments of photosynthetic biomembranes. In Methods in enzymology (Vol. 148, pp. 350-382). Academic Press.
Li, K.C., Zhang, X.Q., Yu, Y., Xing, R.E., Liu, S. and Li, P.C., 2020. Effect of chitin and chitosan hexamers on growth and photosynthetic characteristics of wheat seedlings. Photosynthetica, 58(3), 816-826. DOI: 10.32615/ps.2020.021
Liu, Z., Liu, T., Liang, L., Li, Z., Hassan, M.J., Peng, Y. and Wang, D., 2020. Enhanced photosynthesis, carbohydrates, and energy metabolism associated with chitosan‐induced drought tolerance in creeping bentgrass. Crop Science, 60(2), pp.1064-1076.
Malerba, M. and Cerana, R., 2020. Chitin-and chitosan-based derivatives in plant protection against biotic and abiotic stresses and in recovery of contaminated soil and water. Polysaccharides, 1(1), pp.21-30.
Mejdoub‐Trabelsi, B., Touihri, S., Ammar, N., Riahi, A. and Daami‐Remadi, M., 2020. Effect of chitosan for the control of potato diseases caused by Fusarium species. Journal of Phytopathology, 168(1), pp.18-27.
Mohammed, K.A., Hussein, H.M. and Elshamly, A.M., 2024. Monitoring plant responses in field-grown peanuts exposed to exogenously applied chitosan under full and limited irrigation levels. Scientific Reports, 14(1), p.6244.
Pirbalouti, A.G., Malekpoor, F., Salimi, A. and Golparvar, A., 2017. Exogenous application of chitosan on biochemical and physiological characteristics, phenolic content and antioxidant activity of two species of basil (Ocimum ciliatum and Ocimum basilicum) under reduced irrigation. Scientia Horticulturae, 217, pp.114-122.
Sadeghipour, O., 2021. Chitosan application improves nickel toxicity tolerance in soybean. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 21(3), pp.2096-2104.
Sharif, R., Mujtaba, M., Ur Rahman, M., Shalmani, A., Ahmad, H., Anwar, T., Tianchan, D. and Wang, X., 2018. The multifunctional role of chitosan in horticultural crops; a review. Molecules, 23(4), p.872.
Turk, H., 2019. Chitosan-induced enhanced expression and activation of alternative oxidase confer tolerance to salt stress in maize seedlings. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 141, pp.415-422.
Zhang, G., Wang, Y., Wu, K., Zhang, Q., Feng, Y., Miao, Y. and Yan, Z., 2021. Exogenous application of chitosan alleviates salinity stress in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Horticulturae, 7(10), p.342.
Zhao, J., Pan, L., Zhou, M., Yang, Z., Meng, Y. and Zhang, X., 2019. Comparative physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal mechanisms of improved osmotic stress tolerance in annual ryegrass by exogenous chitosan. Genes, 10(11), p.853.