Hussain Riaz, Mushtaq Nadia, Ahmed Mushtaq, Hameed Hajra, Badshah Saboor, Sher Naila, Badshah Farhad, Waheed Abdul, Ali M Ajmal, Elshikh Mohamed S
Department of Botany, University of Science and Technology, Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Department of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Microsc Res Tech. 2025 May;88(5):1314-1325. doi: 10.1002/jemt.24764. Epub 2025 Jan 2.
Green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is preferred for its affordability and environmentally friendly approach. This study explored the synthesis and characterization of silver NPs (AgNPs) and examined their impact on the growth of Zea mays, both alone and in combination with nickel chloride (NiCl). A methanolic leaf extract was combined with silver nitrate to synthesize AgNPs. Characterization of NPs was carried out through UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Eleven treatments (T1-T11) were made, and Z. mays seeds were subjected to NiCl in pots after being soaked in AgNPs solution. Treatments were arranged to evaluate the effects of NiCl (T1-T3), AgNPs (T4 and T5), and the interactive effects of AgNPs and NiCl (T6-T11) on the planted seeds. UV-vis peaks at 410 nm confirmed the presence of AgNPs. The crystalline nature of AgNPs was confirmed through XRD analysis, and the presence of functional groups from biomolecules and capping agents was shown in FT-IR. The morphology of the NPs and elemental analysis were conducted using SEM and EDS, respectively. The size of the NPs was found 25-50 nm using Nano Measurer software. Growth inhibition was noticed in NiCl-treatments T1-T3. Maximum growth and 100% seed germination were observed in NP-treated seeds (T4 and T5). These two treatments also showed the highest germination index, root/shoot growth, and fresh/dry weights. In treatments T6-T11, the interaction between NiCl and AgNP-soaked seeds showed that while AgNP concentrations alone promoted growth, this enhancement was suppressed by the presence of NiCl in the soil. The inhibited values of T6-T11 were still greater than the control, indicating that soaking Z. mays seeds in AgNPs enhanced growth and mitigated nickel stress in the soil. Pigments, carbohydrates, and protein contents were highest in T4 and T5, whereas NiCl reduced these values. Synthesized AgNPs could enhance Z. mays growth and reduce nickel stress at the applied amounts. Further investigation is required to determine the mechanisms of action of AgNPs and NiCl in enhancing or reducing Z. mays seedling growth and yield.
纳米颗粒（NPs）的绿色合成因其经济实惠且环保的方法而备受青睐。本研究探索了银纳米颗粒（AgNPs）的合成与表征，并研究了它们单独以及与氯化镍（NiCl）联合使用时对玉米生长的影响。将甲醇叶提取物与硝酸银混合以合成AgNPs。通过紫外可见光谱、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）、X射线衍射（XRD）、能量色散光谱（EDS）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）对纳米颗粒进行表征。设置了11种处理（T1-T11），玉米种子在浸泡于AgNPs溶液后，在花盆中接受NiCl处理。这些处理旨在评估NiCl（T1-T3）、AgNPs（T4和T5）以及AgNPs与NiCl的交互作用（T6-T11）对种植种子的影响。410nm处的紫外可见峰证实了AgNPs的存在。通过XRD分析证实了AgNPs的晶体性质，FT-IR显示了生物分子和封端剂中官能团的存在。分别使用SEM和EDS对纳米颗粒的形态和元素进行分析。使用纳米测量软件测得纳米颗粒的尺寸为25-50nm。在NiCl处理的T1-T3中观察到生长抑制。在纳米颗粒处理的种子（T4和T5）中观察到最大生长和100%的种子发芽率。这两种处理还显示出最高的发芽指数、根/茎生长以及鲜重/干重。在处理T6-T11中，NiCl与浸泡过AgNP的种子之间的相互作用表明，虽然单独的AgNP浓度促进生长，但土壤中NiCl的存在抑制了这种促进作用。T6-T11的抑制值仍高于对照，表明将玉米种子浸泡在AgNPs中可促进生长并减轻土壤中的镍胁迫。色素、碳水化合物和蛋白质含量在T4和T5中最高，而NiCl降低了这些值。在所施用的剂量下，合成的AgNPs可促进玉米生长并减轻镍胁迫。需要进一步研究以确定AgNPs和NiCl在增强或降低玉米幼苗生长和产量方面的作用机制。
