Abstract
The realization of manned missions for space exploration requires the development of Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs) to make human colonies self-sufficient in terms of resources. Indeed, in these systems, plants contribute to resource regeneration and food production. However, the cultivation of plants in space is influenced by ionizing radiation which can have positive, null, or negative effects on plant growth depending on intrinsic and environmental/cultivation factors. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of high-LET (Linear Energy Transfer) ionizing radiation on seed germination and seedling development in eye bean. Dry seeds of Dolichos melanophthalmus DC. (eye bean) were irradiated with two doses (1 and 10 Gy) of C- and Ti-ions. Seedlings from irradiated seeds were compared with non-irradiated controls in terms of morpho-anatomical and biochemical traits. Results showed that the responses of eye bean plants to radiation are dose-specific and dependent on the type of ion. The information obtained from this study will be useful for evaluating the radio-resistance of eye bean seedlings, for their possible cultivation and utilization as food supplement in space environments.
Highlights
The human exploration of Mars represents one of the most ambitious challenges that man will face in the coming years [1]
Microscopy analysis showed that seedlings originated from the seeds irradiated with both ions at the two doses maintained the normal structure in cotyledons and hypocotyls, with no evident qualitative alterations (Figure 2)
When subjected to different doses of carbon and titanium ions, eye bean showed a different capacity of development and morpho-anatomical acclimation, accompanied by changes in biochemical traits, resulting in a modified nutritional content
Summary
The human exploration of Mars represents one of the most ambitious challenges that man will face in the coming years [1]. To realize long-duration manned missions, numerous obstacles must be overcome, regarding both organism’s adaptation to extreme environmental conditions and technical/operational issues [2,3]. The re-supply of resources is still an open issue, as for short-duration missions supplies are entirely shipped from Earth. This is clearly unfeasible for long-term manned missions, where resources must be regenerated directly onboard in the Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs) to make the crews self-sufficient. In BLSSs, plants can be used to regenerate the air through the photosynthetic process, purify water by transpiration, recycle part of the crew waste products, produce fresh food on board, and help to create an Earth-like environment to mitigate the astronauts’ psychological stress due to the isolation conditions [4,5]. Even though the type and level of stressors encountered in the different mission scenarios (e.g., space stations, and Lunar and Martian surfaces) are variable, there is common agreement that ionizing
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