Mitigation of the salinity stress in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) productivity by exogenous applications of bio-selenium nanoparticles during the early seedling stage

Ali Mahmoud El-Badri; Maria Batool; Ibrahim A A Mohamed; Zongkai Wang; Chunyun Wang; Karim M Tabl; Ahmed Khatab; Jie Kuai; Jing Wang; Bo Wang; Guangsheng Zhou

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119815

Mitigation of the salinity stress in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) productivity by exogenous applications of bio-selenium nanoparticles during the early seedling stage

Environ Pollut. 2022 Oct 1:310:119815. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119815. Epub 2022 Aug 1.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, 12619, Egypt.
² MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
³ MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum, 63514, Egypt.
⁴ MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University, 21531, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁵ MOA Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. Electronic address: wangbo@mail.hzau.edu.cn.

PMID: 35926737
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119815

Abstract

In recent years, much attention has been directed toward using nanoparticles (NPs) as one of the most effective strategies to improve plant growth, especially under salt stress conditions. Further research has been conducted to develop NPs using various chemical ways; accordingly, knowledge about the beneficial effect of bioSeNPs in rapeseed is obscure. Selenium (Se) is a vital micronutrient with a series of physiological and antioxidative properties. Seed priming is emerging as a low-cost, efficient, and environment-friendly seed treatment in nanotechnology. The current study was carried out to examine the promising effects of nanopriming via bioSeNPs on the expression level of aquaporin genes, seed microstructure, seed germination, growth traits, physiochemical attributes, and minerals uptake of two rapeseed cultivars under salinity stress conditions. Our investigation monitored the positive effects of bioSeNPs on the expression level of aquaporin genes (BnPIP1-1 and BnPIP2-1) and water uptake during the seed imbibition (4 and 8 h of priming), which indicated higher imbibition potential and germination promotion with bioSeNPs application (most effective at 150 μmol/L). The total performance index was significantly enhanced with nano-treatments in rapeseed seedlings. Collectively, nano-application improved seed microstructure, seed germination, and photosynthetic efficiency directly correlated with higher seedlings biomass, especially with a higher concentration of bioSeNPs. The enhancement in α-amylase and free amino acid contents in nanoprimed seeds resulted in rapid seed germination. Moreover, bioSeNPs increased the osmotic adjustment and enhanced the efficiency of the plant's defense system by improving the activity of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, thus enhancing ROS scavenging under salt stress. The obtained results may indicate the strengthening of seed vigor, improving seedling growth and physiochemical attributes via bioSeNPs. Our findings displayed that bioSeNPs modulated the Na⁺ and K⁺ uptake, which improved the rapeseed growth and showed a close relationship with the low contents of toxic Na⁺ ion; thus, it prevented oxidative damage due to salt stress. This comprehensive data can add more knowledge to understand the mechanisms behind plant-bioSeNPs interaction and provide physiological evidence for the beneficial roles of nanopriming using bioSeNPs on rapeseed germination and seedling development under salinity stress conditions. Such studies can be used to develop simple prepackaged nano primer products, which can be used before sowing to boost seed germination and crop productivity under stress conditions.

Keywords: Antioxidant enzyme; Bio-selenium nanoparticles; Gene expression; Nanopriming; Rapeseed; Salinity stress.

MeSH terms

Antioxidants
Aquaporins*
Brassica napus*
Brassica rapa*
Germination
Nanoparticles*
Salt Stress
Seedlings
Seeds
Selenium*

Substances

Antioxidants
Aquaporins
Selenium