Nanopriming of Eleusine coracana seeds using phyto-assisted magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) synthesized from Colocasia esculenta leaves

The experimental study examined the potential impact of biosynthesized triiron tetraoxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) on seed germination and germination indices of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) to advance sustainable and biocompatible nano-agriculture. The successful production of Fe₃O₄ NPs, which was capped with numerous phytochemicals found in the Colocasia esculenta extract, was determined by the results of several characterization processes like FTIR, UV, XRD, and FE-SEM. The presence of the peak in UV with 325 nm with band gap energy 2.60 eV indicates the synthesized NPs. The vibration mode of the Fe–O bond at 530.95 cm⁻¹ and 459.30 cm⁻¹ was analyzed in FTIR. Utilizing XRD, NPs with a mean crystalline size of 3.6 nm were discovered, and crucial EDS examination proved the iron element’s presence. The FE-SEM images displayed a nanorod appearance with an average diameter of 43.7 nm whereas DLS shows 739 nm due to the aggregation of nanoparticles. It was observed that the nanoparticle has a significant antioxidant capability which was expressed using several assays. Additionally, this experiment was conducted to examine the impact of biogenic Fe₃O₄ NPs on the germination of Eleusine coracana seeds as well as to examine other aspects of plant growth, including root and shoot lengths, seed vigor index germination rates, peak value (PV), and mean daily germination. A total of four different Fe₃O₄ NP concentrations (25, 50, 75, and 100 μg/mL) were investigated. The Eleusine coracana seeds’ ability to germinate and thrive is affected by the Fe₃O₄ NPs’ penetration. Efficient treatment with Fe₃O₄ NPs resulted in a notable improvement in germination index values for Eleusine coracana seeds compared to untreated seeds. In addition to that, the nanoparticles were also treated with Allium cepa and its roots were examined for the mitotic cycle, and lipid peroxidation and Evans blue test were performed.