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Fate and impact of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

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Abstract

The increasing demand for food in the world has made sustainable agriculture practices even more important. Nanotechnology applications in many areas have also been used in sustainable agriculture in recent years for the purposes to improve plant yield, pest control, etc. However, ecotoxicology and environmental safety of nanoparticles must be evaluated before large-scale applications. This study comparatively explores the efficacy and fate of different iron oxide NPs (γ-Fe2O3-maghemite and Fe3O4-magnetite) on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Various NP doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/L) were applied to the seeds in hydroponic medium for 3 weeks. Results revealed that γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NPs significantly improved the germination rate (~37% for γ-Fe2O3; ~63% for Fe3O4), plant biomass, and pigmentation (P < 0.005). Compared to the control, the iron content of tissues gradually raised by the increasing NPs doses revealing their translocation, which is confirmed by VSM analysis as well. The findings suggest that γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 NPs have great potential to improve barley growth. They can be recommended for breeding programs as nanofertilizers. However, special care should be paid before the application due to their unknown effects on other living beings.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

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Funding

The study is supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) fund of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU). The project no: 2019-058-IRMC and 2020-166-IRMC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics Research, Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia

    Huseyin Tombuloglu, Norah Albenayyan & Hussein Sabit

  2. Department of Biophysics, Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia

    Yassine Slimani, Sultan Akhtar, Munirah Almessiere & Ismail Ercan

  3. Mavisu evl., Adnan Kahveci Mah., Mimar Sinan Cad., 7/28 Beylikduzu, Istanbul, Turkey

    Guzin Tombuloglu

  4. Department of Nanomedicine, Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia

    Abdulhadi Baykal

  5. Department of Chemistry, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER), Bharath University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600073, India

    Ayyar Manikandan

Authors
  1. Huseyin Tombuloglu
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  2. Norah Albenayyan
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  3. Yassine Slimani
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  4. Sultan Akhtar
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  5. Guzin Tombuloglu
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  6. Munirah Almessiere
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  7. Abdulhadi Baykal
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  8. Ismail Ercan
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  9. Hussein Sabit
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  10. Ayyar Manikandan
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Contributions

HT and GT designed the study. YS performed magnetic measurements. IE analyzed the iron content of the plant parts. AB and MA characterized the nanoparticles. NA and HT conducted physiological tests. SEM analysis was performed by SA. HS and HT performed confocal microscopy analyses. HT, GT, and AM wrote the manuscript. All authors read and commented on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Huseyin Tombuloglu.

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Responsible Editor: Gangrong ShiGangrong Shi

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Tombuloglu, H., Albenayyan, N., Slimani, Y. et al. Fate and impact of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 4710–4721 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15965-1

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