Physiological and anti-oxidative response of biologically and chemically synthesized iron oxide: Zea mays a case study

Murtaza Hasan; Saira Rafique; Ayesha Zafar; Suraj Loomba; Rida Khan; Shahbaz Gul Hassan; Muhammad Waqas Khan; Sadaf Zahra; Muhammad Zia; Ghazala Mustafa; Xugang Shu; Zahid Ihsan; Nasir Mahmood

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04595

Physiological and anti-oxidative response of biologically and chemically synthesized iron oxide: Zea mays a case study

Heliyon. 2020 Aug 26;6(8):e04595. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04595. eCollection 2020 Aug.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China.
² Department of Biochemistry & Biotechnology (Baghdad-ul-Jadeed Campus), The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan.
³ School of Engineering, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia.
⁴ College of Information Science and Engineering, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China.
⁵ Department of Botany, The Islamia University, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan.
⁶ Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
⁷ Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
⁸ Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies (CIDS), The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan.

Abstract

The synthesis methodology, particle size and shape, dose optimization, and toxicity studies of nano-fertilizers are vital prior to their field application. This study investigates the comparative response of chemically synthesized and biologically synthesized iron oxide nanorods (NRs) using moringa olefera along with bulk FeCl₃ on summer maize (Zea mays). It is found that FeCl₃ salt and chemically synthesized iron oxides NRs caused growth retardation and impaired plant physiological and anti-oxidative activities at a concentration higher than 25 mg/L due to toxicity by over accumulation. While iron released form biologically synthesized NRs have shown significantly positive results even at 50 mg/L due to their low toxicity, an improved leaf area (13%), number of leaves per plant (26%), total chlorophyll content (80%) and nitrate content (6%) with biologically synthesized NRs are obtained. Moreover, the plant anti-oxidative activity also increased on treatment with biologically synthesized NRs because of their ability to form a complex with metal ions. These findings suggest that biologically synthesized iron oxides NRs are an efficient iron source and can last for a long time. Thus, proving that nanofertilizer are required to have specific surface chemistry to release the nutrient in an appropriate concentration for better plant growth.

Keywords: Agricultural science; Agronomy; Anti-oxidative stress; Bioinspired synthesis; Chemical engineering; Environmental hazard; Environmental science; Environmental toxicology; Iron nutrition; Materials science; Nanofertilizers; Withania coagulans.