Differential responses of Brassica napus cultivars to dual effects of magnesium oxide nanoparticles

Abstract

Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) have great potential to enhance the crop productivity and sustainability of agriculture. Still, a thorough understanding is lacking about its essentiality or toxicity and precise dose for the safe cultivation of oilseed crops. Thus, we assessed the dual effects of MgO NPs (control, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 200 mg/L) on the seed germination, growth performance, photosynthesis, total soluble protein, total carbohydrates, oxidative stress markers (hydrogen peroxide as H₂O₂ and superoxide anion as O₂^•‒), lipid peroxidation as MDA, and antioxidant defence machinery (SOD, CAT, APX, and GR activities, and GSH levels) of seven different oilseeds (Brassica napus L.) cultivars (ZY 758, ZD 649, ZD 635, ZD 619, GY 605, ZD 622, and ZD 630). Our findings revealed that low doses of MgO NPs (mainly at 10 mg/L) markedly boosted the seed germination, plant growth (shoot and root lengths) (15‒22%), and biomass (fresh and dry) (11‒19%) by improving the levels of photosynthetic pigments (14‒27%), net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm), total soluble protein and total carbohydrates (16‒36%), antioxidant defence, and reducing the oxidative stress in B. napus tissues. Among all B. napus cultivars, these beneficial effects of MgO NPs were pronounced in ZD 635. ile, elevated levels of MgO NPs (particularly at 200 mg/L) induced oxidative stress, impaired antioxidant scavenging potential, photosynthetic inhibition, protein oxidation, and carbohydrate degradation and lead to inhibit the plant growth attributes. These inhibitory effects were more pronounced in ZD 622. Collectively, low-dose MgO NPs reinforced the Mg contents, protected the plant growth, photosynthesis, total soluble carbohydrates, enzyme activities, and minimized the oxidative stress. While, the excessive MgO NP levels impaired the above-reported traits. Overall, ZD 622 was highly susceptible to MgO NP toxicity and ZD 635 was found most tolerant to MgO NP toxicity.

Keywords: Antioxidant defense system; Magnesium oxide nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Oilseed crops; Oxidative stress; Sustainable agriculture.