Foliar-applied silicon and selenium nanoparticles modulated salinity stress through modifying yield, biochemical attribute, and fatty acid profile of Physalis alkekengi L

Mohammad Javad Abdi; Marzieh Ghanbari Jahromi; Seyed Najmmaddin Mortazavi; Sepideh Kalateh Jari; Mohammad Javad Nazarideljou

doi:10.1007/s11356-023-29450-4

Foliar-applied silicon and selenium nanoparticles modulated salinity stress through modifying yield, biochemical attribute, and fatty acid profile of Physalis alkekengi L

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2023 Sep;30(45):100513-100525. doi: 10.1007/s11356-023-29450-4. Epub 2023 Aug 26.

Authors

Mohammad Javad Abdi¹, Marzieh Ghanbari Jahromi², Seyed Najmmaddin Mortazavi³, Sepideh Kalateh Jari¹, Mohammad Javad Nazarideljou⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Horticultural Science and Agronomy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
² Department of Horticultural Science and Agronomy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. ghanbari@srbiau.ac.ir.
³ College of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.
⁴ Department of Horticultural Science, Mahabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahabad, Iran.

PMID: 37632614
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29450-4

Abstract

Soil salinity is a major environmental problem owing to its negative impact on agricultural productivity and sustainability. Nanoparticles (NPs) have recently been highlighted for their ability to alleviate salinity stress. The current study aimed to alleviate salt stress by using silicon (Si) and selenium (Se) NPs on the growth and physiological attributes of Physalis alkekengi L. Plants were irrigated with saline water at 50, 100, and 200 mM NaCl, and Si NPs (200 mg L^-1) and Se NPs (50 mg L^-1) were sprayed on leaves three times in a pot experiment in 2022. Leaf chlorophyll (Chl) content, antioxidant capacity, and fatty acid (FA) profile of fruits were measured to find the effects of NPs and salinity in the plants. Salinity at 50 mM did not significantly differ from the control, but at 100-200 mM, salt stress had a substantial impact on the majority of traits. Compared with non-saline conditions, 200 mM NaCl led to decreases in shoot weight (40%), fruit weight (30%), Chl a (30%), Chl b (39%), anthocyanin (31%), ascorbic acid (16%), total phenolic content (TPC, 11%) but increases in total soluble solids (TSS, 79%), titration acidity (TA, 17%), and TSS/TA (52%) in plants without spraying the NPs. However, Si and Se NPs modulated salinity stress by increasing shoot and fruit weight, Chl content, anthocyanin, and TPC, and with decreasing TSS and TSS/TA. Salinity elevated polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and lowered monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). According to multivariate analysis, 50 mM and control were found to be in the same cluster, whereas 100 and 200 mM were shown to be in different clusters. Foliar application of Si and Se NPs at 200 and 50 mg L^-1, respectively, can be recommended for mitigating salt stress at 100-200 mM NaCl in P. alkekengi L. Plants. Farmers can use the findings to increase the ability of Si and Se NPs to protect plants against salt.

Keywords: Anthocyanin content; Fatty acid composition; Nanomaterials; Soil Salinity.