What question did this study set out to answer?

To investigate the effectiveness of green-synthesized nanoparticles in mitigating nickel toxicity in wheat cultivars.

March 29, 2026Frontiers in Agronomy0 citationsOpen Access

Functional nanoparticles enhance wheat resilience to nickel toxicity through morpho-physiological, antioxidant, and agronomic modulation

AKAneesah Khan MAMuhammad Anas DHDilawar Hassan

Key Points

To investigate the effectiveness of green-synthesized nanoparticles in mitigating nickel toxicity in wheat cultivars.
Evaluated Withania coagulans-mediated silver, copper oxide, and bimetallic nanoparticles.
Applied nanoparticles at 250 ppm through seed priming and foliar spraying.
Studied the effects on photosynthesis, antioxidant activity, and agronomic yield in two wheat cultivars.
Photosynthetic performance significantly improved with total chlorophyll levels of 36.9 µg/g in SKD-1 and 21.1 µg/g in Borlaug-16.
Superoxide dismutase activities reached up to 37 U/g, and catalase activities were up to 0.8 U/g.
Malondialdehyde content reduced to 1.3 µmol/g, indicating less oxidative damage.
Spike lengths reached 12.4 cm, and grain yields were 1.0 g/plant, indicating enhanced agronomic performance.

Abstract

Introduction Nickel (Ni) contamination poses a serious threat to crop productivity by inducing oxidative stress and disrupting physiological and metabolic processes. This study explores green nanotechnology as a sustainable strategy for mitigating heavy metal stress to support climate-resilient agriculture (SDG 13). Methods We evaluated the efficacy of Withania coagulans –mediated, green-synthesized silver (Ag), copper oxide (CuO), and CuO-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) in alleviating Ni-induced stress in two wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars: SKD-1 and Borlaug-16. NPs were applied at 250 ppm via seed priming and foliar spraying. Results NPs treatments significantly improved photosynthetic performance; total chlorophyll reached 36.9 µg/g FW in SKD-1 and 21.1 µg/g FW in Borlaug-16. Antioxidant defense was reinforced, with superoxide dismutase activities up to 37 U/g FW and catalase activities up to 0.8 U/g FW, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content reduced to 1.3 µmol/g FW. Ni translocation was restricted via root sequestration, limiting grain accumulation to 0.2 mg/kg. Agronomic performance improved, with spike lengths of 12.4 cm, biological yields of 2.4 g/plant, and grain yields of 1.0 g/plant. Furthermore, phytochemical enrichment was observed, with total phenolics at 51.4 mg GAE/g DW and total flavonoids at 448.8 mg QE/g DW. Discussion CuO-Ag bimetallic NPs were the most effective in enhancing wheat resilience by limiting Ni translocation and sustaining yield. Future research should prioritize optimizing delivery strategies, elucidating molecular mechanisms of NP-mediated gene expression, and evaluating the scalability of these materials in diverse field-scale environments.

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