Abstract
The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of grafting, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), and their interaction on the nutritional composition of bell pepper plants. The treatments evaluated included grafted and non-grafted pepper plants with four concentrations of ZnO NPs (0, 10, 20, 30 mg L−1) applied to the foliage. The following parameters were evaluated: content of N, P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Cu2+, total antioxidants, ascorbic acid, total phenols, glutathione, total proteins, fruit firmness, and total soluble solids. Grafting increased the content of N 12.2%, P 15.9%, K+ 26.7%, Mg2+ 20.3%, Mn2+ 34.7%, Zn2+ 19.5%, Fe2+ 18.2%, Cu2+ 11.5%, antioxidant capacity 2.44%, ascorbic acid 4.63%, total phenols 1.33%, glutathione 7.18%, total proteins 1.08%, fruit firmness 8.8%. The application of 30 mg L−1 ZnO NPs increased the content of N 12.3%, P 25.9%, Mg2+ 36.8%, Mn2+ 42.2%, Zn2+ 27%, Fe2+ 45%, antioxidant activity 13.95%, ascorbic acid 26.77%, total phenols 10.93%, glutathione 11.46%, total proteins 11.01%, and fruit firmness 17.7% compared to the control. The results obtained demonstrate the influence of the use of grafts and ZnO NPs as tools that could improve the quality and nutrient content in fruits of bell pepper crops.
Highlights
Bell peppers contain a wide range of nutritional and bio-functional properties related to their phenolic compounds, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, vitamins
The results from the present experiment support the hypothesis that the combined use of grafting and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) increased the nutritional quality of bell pepper fruit
All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript
Summary
Bell peppers contain a wide range of nutritional and bio-functional properties related to their phenolic compounds, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, vitaminsC, A, E, B, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, and phosphorus [1,2]. Bell peppers contain a wide range of nutritional and bio-functional properties related to their phenolic compounds, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, vitamins. In 2019, the world production of bell pepper was 1,990,926 hectares, of which a fruit production of. 38,027,164 tons was obtained, with an average yield of 19.10 tons per hectare [3]. Mexico reported 152,772.55 hectares planted in 2019, with 3,238,244.81 tons harvested, with an average yield of 21.65 tons per hectare [4]. Zinc is very important in the human diet, crucial for gene expression, needed for the activity of several metalloenzymes [5], essential for various cellular processes such as differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation, DNA metabolism and repair, reproduction, and vision, all of which influence growth and development of an organism [6]. Biofortification appears more practical, and it can be performed at farms to produce Zn-enriched cereal grains for combating widespread defi-
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