Chandrika K S V Poorna, Prasad R D, Singh Anupama, Gopalan Balaji
Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Kapra Mandal Hyderabad 500078 India
Crop Production Section, ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research Rajendranagar Hyderabad 500030 India
RSC Adv. 2025 Jul 10;15(29):24058-24073. doi: 10.1039/d5ra02986d. eCollection 2025 Jul 4.
Iron and zinc citrate nanoparticles (NCs) were developed and evaluated as potential soil-applied plant nutrients. This study investigates the effects of seven synthesized NC formulations-comprising individual and combined Fe and Zn citrate compositions-on soil enzymatic activity and microbial diversity. The impact of NCs was assessed across three concentrations (250, 500, and 1000 mg kg of soil) and three incubation periods (30, 60, and 90 days), and was compared to commercial Fe and Zn sources, including salts, chelates, and nano-oxides. Enzyme activities measured included dehydrogenase, urease, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase. Culture-based microbiological assays were used to quantify fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes. The results revealed that NCs generally stimulated enzyme activity and microbial populations, particularly at concentrations ≤500 mg kg. While slight inhibition was observed at 1000 mg kg in some treatments, these effects diminished over time. Strong correlations were found between microbial abundance and enzymatic responses, particularly for dehydrogenase and urease. These findings demonstrate that citrate-stabilized Fe and Zn nanoparticles exhibit low toxicity, support microbial-mediated nutrient cycling, and represent a biosafe alternative to conventional micronutrient sources for soil application.
开发并评估了柠檬酸铁和锌纳米颗粒（NCs）作为潜在的土壤施用植物养分。本研究调查了七种合成的NC配方（包括单独的和组合的柠檬酸铁和锌成分）对土壤酶活性和微生物多样性的影响。在三种浓度（250、500和1000 mg/kg土壤）和三个培养期（30、60和90天）下评估了NCs的影响，并与包括盐、螯合物和纳米氧化物在内的商业铁和锌源进行了比较。测量的酶活性包括脱氢酶、脲酶、酸性磷酸酶和碱性磷酸酶。基于培养的微生物学分析用于量化真菌、细菌和放线菌。结果表明，NCs通常会刺激酶活性和微生物种群，尤其是在浓度≤500 mg/kg时。虽然在某些处理中1000 mg/kg时观察到轻微抑制，但这些影响会随着时间减弱。发现微生物丰度与酶反应之间存在强相关性，尤其是脱氢酶和脲酶。这些发现表明，柠檬酸稳定的铁和锌纳米颗粒具有低毒性，支持微生物介导的养分循环，并且是土壤施用中传统微量营养源的生物安全替代品。
