Abstract
• Melatonin-functionalized ZnO NPs were designed to specifically target and alleviate Cr-induced oxidative stress, reducing the toxic effects on tomato plants. • Melatonin functionalized nanoparticles significantly improved plant growth and photosynthetic activity under chromium stress. • Functionalized nano particles maintained osmatic balance and prevented oxidative damage under chromium stress. • Functionalization of nanoparticles with hormones like melatonin offering a new avenue for research and application in plant stress management. This study investigates the biosynthesis, characterization, and application of melatonin-functionalized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs@MT) in alleviating chromium (Cr) toxicity in tomato plants. The biosynthesis of ZnO NPs@MT was achieved using leaf extract from Achillea millefolium . The characteristic properties of ZnO NPs@MT were analyzed using UV–Vis spectroscopy, FESEM, XRD, and HR-TEM. UV–Vis analysis revealed a distinct absorption peak at 366 nm, confirming the formation of pure ZnO NPs@MT with a band gap of 3.39 eV SEM and HR-TEM investigations showed uniformly dispersed rod-shaped particles with an average length of 154 nm and a breadth of 24 nm. XRD patterns confirmed the hexagonal crystallinity of the highly pure ZnO NPs@MT synthesized via the green method. Treatment with ZnO NPs@MT effectively mitigated Cr-induced stress in tomato plants. Cr spiked plants treated with ZnO NPs@MT exhibited a significant increase in root and shoot lengths by 119.5% and 134.7%, respectively. Photosynthetic parameters, including chlorophyll content, CO 2 assimilation rate, and stomatal conductance, improved markedly under Cr stress. Antioxidant enzyme activities were enhanced, bolstering the oxidative stress response. Furthermore, ZnO NPs@MT application reduced electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide levels, indicating decreased cellular damage. Increased concentrations of proline and glycine betaine were also observed, contributing to enhanced stress tolerance. Overall, the application of ZnO NPs@MT demonstrates a promising strategy for improving stress resilience in tomato plants, underscoring their potential in sustainable agricultural practices.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
ZnO NPs@MT increased tomato root length under chromium stress by 119.5%.
- Taxon
- tomato plants
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- ZnO NPs@MTe0
- Outcome
- roote0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 119.5%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cr spiked plants treated with ZnO NPs@MT exhibited a significant increase in root and shoot lengths by 119.5% and 134.7%, respectively.”
t0“tomato plants”
Claim · model-written summary
ZnO NPs@MT increased tomato shoot length under chromium stress by 134.7%.
- Taxon
- tomato plantsSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- ZnO NPs@MTe0
- Outcome
- shoot lengthse0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 134.7%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cr spiked plants treated with ZnO NPs@MT exhibited a significant increase in root and shoot lengths by 119.5% and 134.7%, respectively.”
t0“tomato plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Photosynthetic parameters improved under chromium stress with ZnO NPs@MT.
- Taxon
- tomato plantsSolanum lycopersicume1
- Treatment
- ZnO NPs@MTe1
- Outcome
- chlorophyll content, CO 2 assimilation rate, and stomatal conductancee0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Photosynthetic parameters, including chlorophyll content, CO 2 assimilation rate, and stomatal conductance, improved markedly under Cr stress.”
e1“Treatment with ZnO NPs@MT effectively mitigated Cr-induced stress in tomato plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
Antioxidant enzyme activities increased under ZnO NPs@MT application.
- Taxon
- tomato plantsSolanum lycopersicume1
- Treatment
- ZnO NPs@MTe1
- Outcome
- Antioxidant enzyme activitiese0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Antioxidant enzyme activities were enhanced”
e1“Treatment with ZnO NPs@MT effectively mitigated Cr-induced stress in tomato plants.”
Claim · model-written summary
ZnO NPs@MT reduced electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide in tomato plants.
- Taxon
- tomato plantsSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- ZnO NPs@MTe0
- Outcome
- electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide levelse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ZnO NPs@MT application reduced electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide levels”
t0“tomato plants”
Claim · model-written summary
Proline and glycine betaine concentrations increased with ZnO NPs@MT application.
- Taxon
- tomato plantsSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- ZnO NPs@MTe1
- Outcome
- concentrations of proline and glycine betainee0
- Direction
- Increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Increased concentrations of proline and glycine betaine were also observed”
e1“ZnO NPs@MT application reduced electrolyte leakage”
t0“tomato plants”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.