In the present research, selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) were tested for their use as seed priming agents under field trials on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) for their efficacy in conferring drought tolerance. Four different seed priming regimes of SeNPs were created, comprising 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm, along with a control treatment of 0 ppm. Seeds were planted in split plots under two irrigation regimes comprising water and water stress. The results suggest that seed priming with SeNPs can improve tomato crop performance under drought stress. Plants grown with 75 ppm SeNPs-primed seeds had lower hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by 39.3% and 28.9%, respectively. Seed priming with 75 ppm SeNPs further increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) functions by 34.9 and 25.4%, respectively. The same treatment increased the total carotenoids content by 13.5%, α-tocopherols content by 22.8%, total flavonoids content by 25.2%, total anthocyanins content by 19.6%, ascorbic acid content by 26.4%, reduced glutathione (GSH) content by 14.8%, and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) content by 13.12%. Furthermore, seed priming with SeNPs upregulated the functions of enzymes of ascorbate glutathione cycle. Seed priming with SeNPs is a smart application to sustain tomato production in arid lands.

The current study is a field experiment set out to comprehend significance of the iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles for use as seed priming agents and their subsequent impact in alleviating water stress and improving agronomic profile of flax plants. The experimental layout consisted of a split-plot factorial design with one main plot divided into two subplots corresponding to drought and well-irrigated environment. Each of the subplots was divided into five rows of the flax plants raised from iron oxide primed seeds. The seed priming concentrations were 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm. Seed priming increased stem diameter, stem length, height, fresh weights, and dry weights of plant. The yield attributes, such as number of fruit branches, capsules, seeds per capsule, total fresh and dry stem’s fiber production, were also predominantly improved. The levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide were found to decline by 66% and 71%, respectively, upon seed priming, and an enhancement in activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) was also observed by 28%, 56%, and 39%, respectively, documenting the potential of iron oxide particles in mitigating the water stress.

The current study explored the antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) synthetized using methanolic leaf extracts of the medicinal herb Viscum album. Through TEM investigation and UV–Vis analysis, which peaked at 406 nm, the synthesis of ZnONPs was verified. TEM analyses showed that the synthesized ZnONPs had a size distribution with an average of 13.5 nm and a quasi-spherical shape. Forty-four phytoconstituents were found in the methanolic leaf extracts of V. album. Additionally, a comparison of the antibacterial effectiveness and antioxidant capacity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of wild-grown V. album phytomedicine and green-manufactured ZnONPs was conducted. The green-generated ZnONPs were examined against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and shown to have superior antibacterial activity by 22%, 66%, and 44%, respectively, as compared to wild herbal medicinal extracts. Since the ZnONPs’ aqueous extracts had higher concentrations of DNA gyrase-B inhibitory components, they were shown to be more effective in limiting bacterial growth. In contrast to the percentages of 49% and 57% for a wild plant extract, the aqueous- and methanolic-extract-mediated green ZnONPs, with a 100 g/mL concentration, showed 94% and 98% scavenging capacity for DPPH free radicals, respectively. However, methanolic extracts were more effective than aqueous extracts in terms of the antioxidant analyses. This study establishes that greenly produced ZnONPs have the potential to be used in nanomedicine to treat bacteria that are resistant to a variety of drugs, as well as those with reactive oxygen species toxicity.

The mung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] grown in arid lands experiences yield losses due to the non-availability of water at pod filling and flowering stages which may be moderated by seed priming use of nanomaterials. The present study was based on the hypothesis that seed priming with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO_NPs) can moderate the adverse effects of aridity on mung bean plants by improving crop performance in terms of growth, antioxidant defence, and yield. The hypothesis was tested in field trials in a split plot factorial design. The seed priming with 75 ppm ZnO_NPs improved the growth of water-stressed mung bean plants in terms of shoot length, root length, number of leaves, number of vegetative branches per plant, and number of reproductive branches per plant by 32%, 24%, 43%, 39%, and 30% respectively compared to control. Furthermore, the seed priming with 75 ppm ZnO_NPs caused the accumulation of osmolytes such as proline, total soluble sugars, and total soluble protein by 18%, 14%, and 81% respectively. The levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide were depressed significantly and antioxidant defence functioning was improved by seed priming treatments with ZnO_NPs. The yield profile of water-stressed plants improved significantly in terms of pod length, number of grains per pod, number of pods per plant, seed yield, biological yield, and harvest index by 37%, 50%, 39%, 16%, 9%, and 6% respectively. The yield and production of mung bean plants can be improved through seed priming with ZnO_NPs when grown in arid lands.

This paper explores the potential of nano seed priming with calcium oxide nanoparticles in maintaining the redox status in carom (Trachyspermum ammi L.) plants by modulating non-enzymatic antioxidants and enzymatic antioxidants. Calcium oxide nanoparticles were prepared in four testing regimes comprising 25, 50, 75, and 100 ppm along with the control treatment of 0 ppm (distilled water). Priming was performed by soaking the carom seeds in the aerated water, and plants were grown under split plots corresponding to drought and water. Seed priming with 75 ppm CaONPs reduced hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde contents and electrolyte leakage by 23.3%, 35.9% and 31.6%, respectively, in the water-stressed carom plants. The glutathione s-transferase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase functions improved under water stress by 42.3%, 24.1% and 44.8%, respectively, in the carom plants raised through 100 ppm primed seeds with CaO_NPs. Priming induced better Ca²⁺ signaling, which affected the enzymes of the ascorbate glutathione cycle, enabling them to maintain redox status in the carom plants exposed to drought stress. The morpho-agronomic traits of carom plants in terms of number of umbels, hundred seeds weights, shoot and root length and biomass improved significantly upon seed priming treatments. Seed priming with CaO_NPs is a viable strategy to combat reactive oxygen species-mediated damages in the carom plants.

Callus elicitation is advantageous for metabolite production due to its ability to increase yield, provide controllable conditions, and allow for genetic manipulation, offering a sustainable and scalable alternative to traditional plant-based extraction methods for the production of bioactive substances. In this research, in vitro callus cultures (CCs) of the wild medicinal plant Aerva sanguinolenta were used to evaluate the efficacy of various elicitation regimes of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and salicylic acid (SA) to evoke an increased production of secondary metabolites, such as aervine and antioxidant metabolites. Three concentrations of SA (i.e., 20, 50, and 100 µM) and three concentrations of AgNPs (i.e., 30, 60, and 90 µg/L) were used on shoot explant cultures using MS (Murashige and Skoog) media. All the SA and AgNP elicitation treatments significantly increased the production of antioxidant metabolites, total phenolic contents (TPCs), and total flavonoid contents (TFCs) compared to the control treatment experiments. The contents of aervine were increased significantly upon elicitation compared to the control trial. Furthermore, the antioxidant potential of the test extract was enhanced compared to the control treatment. Comparatively, the AgNPs were more beneficial as elicitors than the SA treatments. The elicitation treatments with about 90 µg/L AgNPs and 100 µM SA were the best among all elicitation regimes. Callus elicitation with SA and AgNPs can stimulate increased metabolite production and be used as a sustainable practice in the welfare and service industries for drug development and drug discovery.