Investigating the Role of Exogenous Hydrogen Peroxide in Nanotoxicity Reduction in Monocot (Maize) and Dicot (Tomato) Plants

Abstract

Use of nanoparticles in consumer products increases the concentration of nanoparticles in environment that causes pollution and adverse effects on the environment. It is important to study effects of nanoparticles on plants because they are stationary organisms and cannot move away from environmental stresses like animals. Therefore, they must overcome these stresses by non-enzymatic and enzymatic defense such as antioxidant enzyme activities. Very few nanoparticles and plant species have been studied, mainly at early growth stages of the plants. Currently, there is limited research in the field of Nano toxicity in plants; uptake and bioaccumulation of nanoparticles in food crops are still not well understood. But there is no research on combined effect of nanoparticles with hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is the stable and major non-radicle reactive oxygen species that regulate defense, development and acclimation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of nanoparticles on hydrogen peroxide pretreated plants and to determine if hydrogen peroxide pretreated plants were better in resisting nanoparticles. Tomato (dicot) and maize (monocot) were germinated under controlled condition in the growth room to conduct the experiment. Plants were exposed to different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in combination with different concentrations of nanoparticles and their effects will be studied at physiological, and biochemical levels such as chlorophyll content, sugar content and enzyme activities of plants. Pretreatment of hydrogen peroxide showed positive results this means that Hydrogen peroxide can reduce the oxidative damage at physiological level and biochemical level which is caused by nanoparticles stress. The results were depends on the concentrations of nanoparticles and plant species.