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Chemistry, Biochemistry of Nanoparticles, and Their Role in Antioxidant Defense System in Plants

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Nanotechnology and Plant Sciences

Abstract

As time passes, engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are more frequently found in medical and consumer products, as well as in industrial and agricultural applications. The intensive production, use, and disposal of ENPs-containing wastes increase the likelihood of emission of such products to the environment. During the last two decades, a body of scientific literature has shown that ENPs interact with living components of ecosystems in different ways. The literature indicates that ENPs impact on plant growth, cell structure, and physiological and biochemical functions. In this chapter we discuss the stress induced by ENPs on higher plants. Although some references about carbon-based ENPs are included, most of the references are related to metal-based ENPs. The discussion is mainly focused on the effects of ENPs on photosystems and the mechanisms of generation/scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Effects on the enzymes catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX), ascorbate peroxidase (APOX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) are discussed. Information about low molecular weight antioxidant thiols (GSSG or GSH) and ascorbate is also included.

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Acknowledgments

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency under Cooperative Agreement Number DBI-0830117. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the Environmental Protection Agency. This work has not been subjected to EPA review and no official endorsement should be inferred. This work was supported by Grant 2G12MD007592 from the National Institutes on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The authors also acknowledge the USDA grant number 2011-38422-30835 and the NSF Grant # CHE-0840525 J. L. Gardea-Torresdey acknowledges the Dudley family for the Endowed Research Professorship, the Academy of Applied Science/US Army Research Office, Research and Engineering Apprenticeship program (REAP) at UTEP, grant # W11NF-10-2-0076, sub-grant 13–7, and STARs programs of the University of Texas System.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX, 79968, USA

    C. M. Rico, J. R. Peralta-Videa & J. L. Gardea-Torresdey

  2. Environmental Science and Engineering PhD Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX, 79968, USA

    J. R. Peralta-Videa & J. L. Gardea-Torresdey

  3. University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX, 79968, USA

    C. M. Rico, J. R. Peralta-Videa & J. L. Gardea-Torresdey

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  1. C. M. Rico
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  2. J. R. Peralta-Videa
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  3. J. L. Gardea-Torresdey
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Correspondence to J. L. Gardea-Torresdey .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Manzer H. Siddiqui

  2. Department of Botany and Microbiology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Mohamed H. Al-Whaibi

  3. Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

    Firoz Mohammad

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Rico, C.M., Peralta-Videa, J.R., Gardea-Torresdey, J.L. (2015). Chemistry, Biochemistry of Nanoparticles, and Their Role in Antioxidant Defense System in Plants. In: Siddiqui, M., Al-Whaibi, M., Mohammad, F. (eds) Nanotechnology and Plant Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14502-0_1

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