Bioinspired Cobalt Oxide Nanoball Synthesis, Characterization, and Their Potential as Metal Stress Absorbants

Faisal Mahmood; Syeda Sadaf Zehra; Murtaza Hasan; Ayesha Zafar; Tuba Tariq; Muhammad Abdullah; Muniba Anum Nazir; Muhammad Jamil; Shahbaz Gul Hassan; Xue Huang; Hafiz Umer Javed; Xugang Shu

doi:10.1021/acsomega.2c07545

Bioinspired Cobalt Oxide Nanoball Synthesis, Characterization, and Their Potential as Metal Stress Absorbants

ACS Omega. 2023 Jan 31;8(6):5836-5849. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07545. eCollection 2023 Feb 14.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Botany, The Islamia University, Bahawalpur63100, Pakistan.
² Department of Biotechnology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur63100, Pakistan.
³ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou510225, China.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing100871, China.
⁵ Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan.
⁶ College of Information Science and Engineering, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou510225, China.

Abstract

Massive accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural land as a result of enhanced levels of toxicity in the soil is an emerging global concern. Among various metals, zinc contamination has severe effects on plant and human health through the food chain. To remove such toxicity, a nanotechnological neutralizer, cobalt oxide nanoballs (Co₃O₄ Nbs) were synthesized by using the extract of Cordia myxa. The Co₃O₄ Nbs were well characterized via UV-vis spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Green-synthesized Co₃O₄ Nbs were exposed over Acacia jacquemontii and Acacia nilotica at different concentrations (25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm). Highly significant results were observed for plant growth by the application of Co₃O₄ Nbs at 100 ppm, thereby increasing the root length (35%), shoot length (48%), fresh weight (44%), and dry weight (40%) of the Acacia species with respect to the control. Furthermore, physiological parameters including chlorophyll contents, relative water contents, and osmolyte contents like proline and sugar showed a prominent increase. The antioxidant activity and atomic absorption supported and justified the positive response to using Co₃O₄ Nbs that mitigated the heavy-metal zinc stress by improving the plant growth. Hence, the biocompatible Co₃O₄ Nbs counteract the zinc toxicity for governing and maintaining plant growth. Such nanotechnological tools can therefore step up the cropping system and overcome toxicity to meet the productivity demand along with the development of agricultural management strategies.