TiO2 and TiO2 Nanoparticles' Impact on Mentha Piperita's Photosynthetic Pigments, Root and Shoot Length, and Germination

Abstract

Aims: The application of nanoparticles has being researched in several scientific domains nowadays. The physiology of medicinal plants is arguably one of the areas that receives less attention. Investigating the phytotoxicity or advantageous effects of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and titanium dioxide nanoparticle (NP-TiO2) treatments on Mentha piperita's root and shoot length, photosynthetic pigments, seed germination, and potential inhibitory effects is the goal of this study. This study was evaluated in 2012-2013 in the Islamic Azad University of Falavarjan, Isfahan, Iran, research Laboratory.
Methodology: TiO2 and NP-TiO2 treatments were applied to the seeds. Four replicates were used for each treatment, and the mean ±SE (standard error of the mean) was used to display the results. The SPSS 18 was used to analyze photosynthetic pigments, root and shoot length, and germination %.
Results: The germination percentage and shoot length were significantly impacted negatively by the varying concentrations of NP-TiO2 and TiO2. However, NP-TiO2 concentrations of 100 mg L-1 had a greater effect on root length than nonNP-TiO2 concentrations. There was a noticeable impact on photosynthetic pigments (carotenoids and chlorophyll a and b) at 200 mg L-1 of TiO2 and 100 mg L-1 of NP-TiO2.
Conclusion: The experiment's findings demonstrated that while NP-TiO2 at lower concentrations considerably boosted root length, TiO2 at higher concentrations had noticeable effects on photosynthetic pigments.