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Nano silicon dioxide reduces cadmium uptake, regulates nutritional homeostasis and antioxidative enzyme system in barley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L.) under cadmium stress

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Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity is one of the most severe environmental threats inhibiting crop growth and productivity. Strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of Cd stress on plants are under scrutiny. Nano silicon dioxide (nSiO2) is an emerging material and could protect plants against abiotic stress. Can nSiO2 alleviate Cd toxicity in barley, and the possible mechanisms are poorly understood. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the mitigation effects of nSiO2 on Cd toxicity in barley seedlings. The results showed that the application of nSiO2 (5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/L) increased barley plant growth and chlorophyll and protein content, improving photosynthesis, compared with Cd-treated alone. Specifically, 5–40 mg/L nSiO2 addition increased net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 17.1, 38.0, 30.3, and − 9.7%, respectively, relative to the Cd treatment alone. Furthermore, exogenous nSiO2 reduced Cd concentration and balanced mineral nutrient uptake. The application of 5–40 mg/L nSiO2 decreased Cd concentration in barley leaves by 17.5, 25.4, 16.7, and 5.8%, respectively, relative to the Cd treatment alone. Moreover, exogenous nSiO2 lowered malondialdehyde (MDA) content by 13.6–35.0% in roots, and by 13.5–27.2% in leaves, respectively, compared with Cd-treated alone. Besides, nSiO2 altered antioxidant enzyme activities and alleviated detrimental effects on Cd-treated plants, attaining maximal values at 10 mg/L nSiO2. These findings revealed that exogenous nSiO2 application may be a viable option for addressing Cd toxicity of barley plants.

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Abbreviations

Al (NO3)3 :

Aluminum nitrate

BNS:

Basal nutrient solution

Cd:

Cadmium

DW:

Dry weight

FW:

Fresh weight

HM:

Heavy metal

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

nSiO2 :

Nano silicon dioxide

Pn:

Net photosynthetic rate

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

Tr:

Transpiration rate

APX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

Catalase

Ci:

Intercellular CO2 concentration

EDTA:

Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid

Gs:

Stomatal conductance

HMs:

Heavy metals

NBT:

Nitroblue tetrazolium

PBS:

Sodium phosphate buffer

POD:

Peroxidase

Si:

Silicon

TEM:

Transmission electron microscopy

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Funding

This work was supported by the Key Research and Development Project of Shanxi Province (Grant No. 201903D221066), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31401319, and 42177057), Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province (Grant No. 20210302124513, and 20210302123266). The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment and Resources, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, People’s Republic of China

    Songjie He, Xin Lian, Bo Zhang, Xianjun Liu, Jia Yu, Yifan Gao & Hongyan Sun

  2. School of Applied Sciences, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, People’s Republic of China

    Songjie He & Qingmei Zhang

  3. College of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, People’s Republic of China

    Xin Lian

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  1. Songjie He
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  2. Xin Lian
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  3. Bo Zhang
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  4. Xianjun Liu
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  5. Jia Yu
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  6. Yifan Gao
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  7. Qingmei Zhang
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  8. Hongyan Sun
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Songjie He, Xin Lian, Bo Zhang, Xianjun Liu, Jia Yu, Yifan Gao, Qingmei Zhang, and Hongyan Sun. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Songjie He and Hongyan Sun, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hongyan Sun.

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He, S., Lian, X., Zhang, B. et al. Nano silicon dioxide reduces cadmium uptake, regulates nutritional homeostasis and antioxidative enzyme system in barley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L.) under cadmium stress. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 67552–67564 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27130-x

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