Abstract
Nanotechnology is a potential and emerging field with multiple applications in different areas of study. The beneficial effects of the use of nanoparticles in agriculture have already been proven. The objective of this research was to determine if the foliar application of Cu nanoparticles (NPs) could increase the content of the bioactive compounds in tomato fruits. Our study considered four treatments with different concentrations of Cu nanoparticles (50, 125, 250, 500 mg L−1, diameter 50 nm) applied twice during the development of the culture. The effects on the fruit quality and the contents of the antioxidant compounds were determined. The application of the Cu nanoparticles induced the production of fruits with greater firmness. Vitamin C, lycopene, and the ABTS antioxidant capacity increased compared to the Control. In addition, a decrease in the ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) enzymatic activity was observed, while the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes showed a significant increase. The application of Cu NPs induced a greater accumulation of bioactive compounds in tomato fruits.
Highlights
There is currently a strong interest in human food quality— in foods’ bioactive compound contents
Through the application of Cu nanoparticles (Cu NPs), the production of antioxidant compounds (glutathione (GSH), vitamin C, and carotenoids) including antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT)) are activated in plants to reduce oxidative stress caused by Considering the beneficial effects reported on the increase of bioactive compounds by the application of copper nanoparticles in other crops, the objective of this work was to determine the effect of the foliar application of Cu NPs in the accumulation of bioactive compounds in tomato fruits
The results indicate that the overproduction of these carotenoids is a response to oxidative stress caused by Cu NPs [54]
Summary
There is currently a strong interest in human food quality— in foods’ bioactive compound contents. These compounds may help to prevent chronic and degenerative diseases and generate positive effects to promote and restore the physiological functions of the human organism. The tomato fruit (Solanum lycopersicum L.) has been identified as a functional and nutraceutical food [1]. This fruit is an important source of bioactive compounds such as vitamins, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds, which produce a greater antioxidant activity that represents a direct benefit to human health [2].
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