Investigation of Biochemical Effects of Nano‐Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) on Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Plants

Abstract

Agricultural biotechnology is very closely related to the properties and potential uses of nanomaterials. Although silicon is not recognized as an important nutrient for plant growth and development, it has beneficial effects on plant growth and yield and on resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. Recent advances in nanotechnology surprisingly increase the use of nanoparticles (NPs) in agriculture; it is therefore interesting to understand the role of SiO2NP. Silicium plays an important role as a physico‐mechanical barrier and is deposited in many plants in the walls of the epidermis, in stem, leaf and vascular tissues, especially in monocots, and also regulates physiological activities in plants. There are also many studies on the regulatory effect of the silicon element on plant growth and development under stress conditions. However, the mechanisms of interaction at the molecular level between the nanoparticles and biological systems are largely unknown. Sunflower seeds were sterilized by washing in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution for 5 minutes and then in sterile di‐H2O for 4–5 minutes. Then, on the 1st, 4th and 8th days, samples were taken from root and leaf tissues and frozen in liquid nitrogen after freezing in freezer (−40 ° C). enzyme activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, pigment analysis, percentage of germination, relative water content were investigated. In our study, it was determined that 50 nm particle size nanosilicon were more effective at 50 mg / mL concentration. In particular, SOD and APX enzyme activities were found to be highest on the 8th day of nanosilica administration compared to the control group, while CAT enzyme activity was determined in the administration of 100 mg particle size nanosilica 20 mg / mL. MDA levels were decreased on the 8th day compared to the control group. Nanosilica particles help to increase the activity of enzymes that have important roles in combating biotic and abiotic stress conditions and a decrease in MDA levels indicates that nanosilica particles can be taken into account in the cultivation of agriculturally important plants such as sunflower.Support or Funding InformationThis research was funded by Inonu University, Department of Scientific Research Projects Project No: FYL‐2017‐651This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.