Bahraminejad Faegheh, Nasibi Fatemeh, Darezereshki Esmaeel, Noori Hadi, Mousavi Effat Ahmadi
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
Department of Material Processing Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2025 Jun;32(30):18496-18515. doi: 10.1007/s11356-025-36764-y. Epub 2025 Jul 25.
Low temperatures significantly challenge crop productivity, adversely affecting plant growth and development due to cold stress, which can damage crops such as Ocimum basilicum L., commonly known as basil. A recent study investigated the effects of treating basil plants with cerium nitrate, cerium oxide, and cerium hydroxide nanoparticles to alleviate cold stress. In this study, basil plants were sprayed with 20 µg/L concentrations of the different forms of cerium and then subjected to cold stress by being placed in a refrigerator at 3°C for 5 h. The results showed that cold stress resulted in an increase in lipoxygenase (LOX) enzyme activity and elevated levels of membrane lipid peroxidation, which are indicators of cold stress. Specifically, LOX enzyme activity rose by approximately 60%, the content of malondialdehyde increased by 70%, and other aldehyde levels nearly doubled. Measurement of carbonyl groups, which indicates protein oxidation, revealed that cold stress increased carbonyl groups in the cells by up to 86%, reflecting the severity of the cold stress on the plant. Additionally, the study found that, with the exception of catalase, the levels of compatible solutes and antioxidant enzyme activity increased under cold stress. Importantly, the application of cerium compounds reduced the severity of cold stress in basil plants. A comparison of the different forms of cerium demonstrated that cerium nanoparticles were more effective than cerium nitrate in mitigating cold stress and enhancing plant growth and defense mechanisms. Therefore, it is advisable to use cerium in its nanoparticle form for agricultural applications to combat stress. While cerium oxide nanoparticle form has been extensively studied, this research also examined the effects of cerium hydroxide nanoparticle form. The results indicated that the efficacy of these two nanoparticle forms in alleviating cold stress was quite similar; both reduced oxidative stress indicators, such as lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, by approximately 50%. Previous studies have established that when used at low concentrations, cerium can significantly enhance plant growth and alleviate environmental stress factors. However, higher concentrations may be toxic to plants. Based on the findings regarding cerium content in basil plant tissue from this research, it is evident that cerium oxide nanoparticles are more effective than cerium hydroxide in promoting plant health and resilience. Based on this article's data and previous studies, cerium use is recommended as a new option for reducing environmental stressors in plants.
低温对作物生产力构成重大挑战，因冷胁迫对植物生长发育产生不利影响，冷胁迫会损害诸如罗勒（学名：Ocimum basilicum L.）等作物。最近一项研究调查了用硝酸铈、氧化铈和氢氧化铈纳米颗粒处理罗勒植株以减轻冷胁迫的效果。在该研究中，用20微克/升不同形式的铈对罗勒植株进行喷雾处理，然后将其置于3°C的冰箱中5小时以施加冷胁迫。结果表明，冷胁迫导致脂氧合酶（LOX）活性增加以及膜脂过氧化水平升高，这些都是冷胁迫的指标。具体而言，LOX酶活性上升了约60%，丙二醛含量增加了70%，其他醛类水平几乎翻倍。对表明蛋白质氧化的羰基的测量显示，冷胁迫使细胞中的羰基增加了高达86%，这反映了冷胁迫对植物的严重程度。此外，研究发现，除过氧化氢酶外，冷胁迫下相容性溶质水平和抗氧化酶活性增加。重要的是，铈化合物的施用降低了罗勒植株冷胁迫的严重程度。对不同形式铈的比较表明，铈纳米颗粒在减轻冷胁迫以及增强植物生长和防御机制方面比硝酸铈更有效。因此，在农业应用中建议使用纳米形式的铈来应对胁迫。虽然氧化铈纳米颗粒形式已得到广泛研究，但本研究也考察了氢氧化铈纳米颗粒形式的效果。结果表明，这两种纳米颗粒形式在减轻冷胁迫方面的功效相当相似；两者都使脂质过氧化和蛋白质氧化等氧化应激指标降低了约50%。先前的研究表明，低浓度使用时，铈可显著促进植物生长并减轻环境胁迫因素。然而，较高浓度可能对植物有毒。基于本研究中罗勒植株组织铈含量的研究结果，显然氧化铈纳米颗粒在促进植物健康和恢复力方面比氢氧化铈更有效。基于本文数据和先前研究，建议将铈的使用作为减少植物环境胁迫源的新选择。
