Nano-selenium (nano-Se) has garnered widespread attention for its potential to alleviate plant abiotic stress. However, despite its promising applications, the specific effects of nano-Se on barley seedling growth under cadmium (Cd) stress largely unexplored. In this study, nano-Se was synthesized, and the optimized product was characterized. Additionally, the regulatory effects of different nano-Se concentrations on barley seedlings under Cd stress were investigated. The results revealed that a high concentration of nano-Se inhibited barley growth, whereas low doses promoted plant growth under Cd stress, with the highest growth parameters recorded at 2 µmol L- 1 (µM) nano-Se. Furthermore, low doses of nano-Se increased chlorophyll levels and improved photosynthetic efficiency. Additionally, nano-Se application at low concentrations protected barley plants from oxidative damage by reducing the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), as well as decreasing the activities of root peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) induced by Cd stress, as well as reducing the total flavonoid content.
Keywords: Barley; Heavy metal; Nanoparticles; Oxidative stress; Photosynthesis; Remediation.
© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.