Babarabie Mehrdad, Zolfaghary Parvin, Sardoei Ali Salehi, Fotoohiyan Zeinab, Ghorbanzadeh Amir, Danyaei Atoosa, Afsharipour Sediqeh
Department of Agriculture, Minab Higher Education Complex, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, 7916193145, Iran.
Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Water Engineering, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, 4913815739, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):23239. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-05457-4.
Biologically synthesized nanoparticles act as growth stimulants and enhance plant tolerance to stresses. This study aimed to investigate the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) biosynthesized using an aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera as a plant stimulant on the morphological and physiological traits of Pelargonium hortorum under drought stress conditions in greenhouse experiments. First, the synthesis of AgNPs and their morphology and particle size distribution were examined using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Then, to evaluate the effect of nanoparticles on geranium growth, a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, including three levels of drought stress (30, 60, and 90% field capacity) and four levels of nanoparticle foliar application (0, 10, 20, and 30%) with three replications over six months. The results showed that the synthesized nanoparticles were highly homogeneous and spherical, with an average size ranging from 8 to 12 nanometers. Foliar application at a 10% concentration significantly improved all evaluated parameters and partially mitigated the adverse effects of drought stress. The highest phenotypic coefficient of variation belonged to stem diameter (15.27%) and catalase enzyme activity (17.62%). The application of nanoparticles at a 10% concentration significantly increased leaf blade length and width, plant height, flower diameter, petal anthocyanin content, catalase enzyme activity, and chlorophyll content compared to the control. However, regarding stem diameter and flowering time, the highest increase was observed at 20% and 30% nanoparticle concentrations, respectively. Additionally, AgNPs at a 10% concentration increased phosphorus and potassium content in geranium leaves, whereas higher concentrations and drought stress reduced nitrogen and potassium levels. Therefore, foliar application of AgNPs (10%) can reduce the adverse effects of drought stress and serve as a practical, effective, and cost-efficient approach to mitigating stress and improving geranium growth and yield under water-limited conditions.
生物合成的纳米颗粒可作为生长刺激剂，增强植物对胁迫的耐受性。本研究旨在通过温室试验，探究以辣木水提取物生物合成的银纳米颗粒（AgNPs）作为植物刺激剂，对干旱胁迫条件下天竺葵形态和生理性状的影响。首先，使用透射电子显微镜（TEM）和扫描电子显微镜（SEM）检测AgNPs的合成及其形态和粒径分布。然后，为评估纳米颗粒对天竺葵生长的影响，采用完全随机设计进行析因试验，包括三个干旱胁迫水平（田间持水量的30%、60%和90%）和四个纳米颗粒叶面喷施水平（0%、10%、20%和30%），重复三次，试验为期六个月。结果表明，合成的纳米颗粒高度均匀且呈球形，平均粒径在8至12纳米之间。10%浓度的叶面喷施显著改善了所有评估参数，并部分减轻了干旱胁迫的不利影响。最高的表型变异系数属于茎直径（15.27%）和过氧化氢酶活性（17.62%）。与对照相比，10%浓度的纳米颗粒施用显著增加了叶片长度和宽度、株高、花直径、花瓣花青素含量、过氧化氢酶活性和叶绿素含量。然而，关于茎直径和开花时间，分别在20%和30%纳米颗粒浓度下观察到最高增幅。此外，10%浓度的AgNPs增加了天竺葵叶片中的磷和钾含量，而较高浓度和干旱胁迫降低了氮和钾水平。因此，叶面喷施10%的AgNPs可以减少干旱胁迫的不利影响，并作为一种实用、有效且经济高效的方法，在水分受限条件下减轻胁迫并改善天竺葵的生长和产量。
