Investigating the role of exogenous Hydrogen Peroxide in nanotoxicity reduction in Capsicum annuum L. and its hybrids

Abstract

Concentration of nanoparticles in environment is increasing day by day due to their increasing use in consumer products that causes pollution and adverse effects on the environment. Nanoparticles adverse effects on ecosystem leading to toxicity in crop plants when released through: manufacturing goods, usage and disposal. Further the transfer of nano sized particles into the food chain by eatable plants is very significant. Nanoparticles enter the plant cells and cause imbalance and disturbance in anti-oxidant processes and induce oxidative stress leading to cell damage. Hence it is important to study effects of nanoparticles on plants because they are stationary organisms and cannot move away from environmental stresses like animals. To date, very few nanoparticles and plant species have been studied, mainly at early growth stages of the plants; whereas there has been no comparative research on role of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) when given in combination with nanoparticles on hybrid plants and its parents. H2O2 generate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that trigger scavenging antioxidant enzymes in plant cells to repair the impairment. This strategy helps plant to survive the biotic and abiotic stress. In this research we investigated effects of various doses of H2O2 in combination with Titanium dioxide nanoparticles on Capsicum annuum L. hybrid and the parents and their effects are studied at physiological, and biochemical levels such as chlorophyll content, sugar content and anti-oxidant enzyme activities of plants. We find out the H2O2 can act as oxidative tool to reduce biochemical loss in plants.