Synergistic action of silicon nanoparticles and indole acetic acid in alleviation of chromium (CrVI) toxicity in Oryza sativa seedlings

Aishwarya Sharma; Kanchan Vishwakarma; Nand Kumar Singh; Ved Prakash; Naleeni Ramawat; Rajendra Prasad; Shivendra Sahi; Vijay Pratap Singh; Durgesh Kumar Tripathi; Shivesh Sharma

doi:10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.09.005

Synergistic action of silicon nanoparticles and indole acetic acid in alleviation of chromium (Cr^VI) toxicity in Oryza sativa seedlings

J Biotechnol. 2022 Jan 10:343:71-82. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.09.005. Epub 2021 Sep 15.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj 211004, UP, India.
² Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj 211004, UP, India; Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector 125, Noida 201313, India.
³ Crop Nanobiology and Molecular Stress Physiology Lab, Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida 201313, India.
⁴ Department of Horticulture, Kulbhasker Ashram PG College, Allahabad, India.
⁵ University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP), Philadelphia, PA, USA.
⁶ Plant Physiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, C.M.P. Degree College, A Constituent Post Graduate College of University of Allahabad, Prayagraj 211002, India. Electronic address: vijaypratap.au@gmail.com.
⁷ Crop Nanobiology and Molecular Stress Physiology Lab, Amity Institute of Organic Agriculture, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida 201313, India. Electronic address: dktripathiau@gmail.com.
⁸ Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj 211004, UP, India. Electronic address: shiveshs@mnnit.ac.in.

PMID: 34534595
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.09.005

Abstract

The present study investigates ameliorative effect of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) and indole acetic acid (IAA) alone and in combination against hexavalent chromium (Cr^VI) toxicity in rice seedlings. The results of the study revealed protective effects of SiNPs and IAA against Cr^VI toxicity. The 100 μM of Cr^VI imposed toxic effects in rice seedlings at morphological, physiological and biochemical levels which coincided with increased level of intracellular Cr^VI and declined level of endogenous nitric oxide (NO). The Cr^VI enhanced levels of superoxide radicals (SOR) (59.51% and 50.1% in shoot and root, respectively) and H₂O₂ (19.5% and 23.69% in shoot and root, respectively). However, when SiNPs and IAA were applied to plants under Cr^VI stress, they enhanced tolerance and defence mechanisms as manifested in terms of increased biomass, endogenous NO, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidants level. It was also noticed that Cr^VI arrested cell cycle at G2/M phase whereas growth was restored as compared to control when SiNPs and IAA were supplemented. Thus, the hypothesis that combined application of SiNPs and IAA will be effective in alleviating Cr^VI toxicity is validated from the results of this study. Moreover, in SiNPs and IAA-mediated mitigation of Cr^VI toxicity, endogenous NO has a positive role. The importance of the study will be that the combination of SiNPs and IAA can be utilized against heavy metal stress and even when supplied alone, they will enhance the crop productivity parameters with and without stress conditions.

Keywords: Antioxidant enzymes; Cr(VI) phytotoxicity; Fluorescence staining; Indole acetic acid; Rice seedlings; Silicon nanoparticles.

MeSH terms

Chromium / toxicity
Hydrogen Peroxide
Indoleacetic Acids
Nanoparticles*
Oryza*
Oxidative Stress
Seedlings
Silicon / toxicity

Substances

Indoleacetic Acids
Chromium
chromium hexavalent ion
indoleacetic acid
Hydrogen Peroxide
Silicon