Multimodal Spectroscopic Studies to Evaluate the Effect of Nod-Factor-Based Fertilizer on the Maize (Zea mays) Stem

Mikolaj Krysa; Katarzyna Susniak; Cai Li Song; Monika Szymanska-Chargot; Artur Zdunek; Izabela S Pieta; Janusz Podleśny; Anna Sroka-Bartnicka; Sergei G Kazarian

doi:10.1177/00037028241239358

Multimodal Spectroscopic Studies to Evaluate the Effect of Nod-Factor-Based Fertilizer on the Maize (Zea mays) Stem

Appl Spectrosc. 2024 Mar 26:37028241239358. doi: 10.1177/00037028241239358. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Mikolaj Krysa¹, Katarzyna Susniak^{1

2}, Cai Li Song³, Monika Szymanska-Chargot⁴, Artur Zdunek⁴, Izabela S Pieta⁵, Janusz Podleśny⁶, Anna Sroka-Bartnicka¹, Sergei G Kazarian³

Affiliations

¹ Independent Unit of Spectroscopy and Chemical Imaging, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
² Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland.
³ Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, UK.
⁴ Department of Microstructure and Mechanics of Biomaterials, Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lublin, Poland.
⁵ Spectroscopic and microscopic (STM/AFM) studies of intermolecular interactions, Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
⁶ Department of Forage Crop Production, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, Pulawy, Poland.

PMID: 38529584
DOI: 10.1177/00037028241239358

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most cultivated plants in the world. Due to the large area, the scale of its production, and the demand to increase the yield, there is a need for new environmentally friendly fertilizers. One group of such candidates is bacteria-produced nodulation (or nod) factors. Limited research has explored the impact of nodulation, factors on maize within field conditions, with most studies restricted to greenhouse settings and early developmental stages. Additionally, there is a scarcity of investigations that elucidate the metabolic alterations in the maize stem due to nod-factor exposure. It was therefore the aim of this study. Maize stem's metabolites and fibers were analyzed with various imaging analytical techniques: matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), Raman spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy. Moreover, the biochemical analyses were used to evaluate the proteins and soluble carbohydrates concentration and total phenolic content. These techniques were used to evaluate the influence of nod factor-based biofertilizer on the growth of a non-symbiotic plant, maize. The biofertilizer increased the grain yield and the stem mass. Moreover, the spectroscopic and biochemical investigation proved the appreciable biochemical changes in the stems of the maize in biofertilizer-treated plants. Noticeable changes were found in the spatial distribution and the increase in the concentration of flavonoids such as maysin, quercetin, and rutin. Moreover, the concentration of cell wall components (fibers) increased. Furthermore, it was shown that the use of untargeted analyses (such as Raman and ATR FT-IR, spectroscopic imaging, and MALDI-MSI) is useful for the investigation of the biochemical changes in plants.

Keywords: Corn; FT-IR; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; MALDI-MSI; Raman spectroscopy; Rhizobium; matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–mass spectrometry imaging; nod factor.