Biogenic copper nanoparticles synthesized by using a copper-resistant strain Shigella flexneri SNT22 reduced the translocation of cadmium from soil to wheat plants

J Hazard Mater. 2020 Nov 5:398:123175. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123175. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Abstract

The mechanistic role of green copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in cadmium (Cd) toxicity alleviation in plants is poorly understood. Here, the CuNPs, synthesized by using a bacterium Shigella flexneri SNT22, were confirmed through UV-vis spectroscopy with a characteristic peak at 334.50 nm. Moreover, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques revealed that the spherical shaped crystals of CuNPs with a size range of 17.24 nm to 38.03 nm were stabilized by coating proteins. Diff ;erent levels of CuNPs (e.g., 25, 50, and 100 mg kg-1 of soil) were examined in pots having Cd-mixed soil to evaluate their effect on wheat plants in a growth chamber under optimal environmental conditions. Treatment of soil with 100 mg kg-1 of CuNPs increased plant length by 44.4 %, shoot dry weight by 28.26 %, nitrogen contents by 41.60 %, and phosphorus contents by 58.79 %, whereas decreased the acropetal Cd translocation by 49.62 %. An increase in the N, P, K+, Ca2+, K+/Na+, and Ca2+/Na+ contents and decrease in the Na+ concentration in wheat plants treated with CuNPs was also recorded. Overall, the results are valuable to establish a green CuNPs-based approach for sustainable wheat growth in metal-contaminated soils.

Keywords: Cadmium; Green nanoparticles; Heavy metals; Shigella flexneri; Wheat.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cadmium / toxicity
  • Copper / toxicity
  • Nanoparticles* / toxicity
  • Shigella flexneri
  • Soil
  • Soil Pollutants* / toxicity
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Triticum

Substances

  • Soil
  • Soil Pollutants
  • Cadmium
  • Copper