Browsing by Author "Faizan, Mohammad"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Mechanistic Insights on Physiological, Biochemical, and Metabolite Profiling of Oryza Sativa Grown Under Drought Stress: A Strategic Coping Mechanism of Silicon Oxide Nanoparticles Treatment
(Springer, 2025) Bilge, Ugur; Dogan, Serap; Eren, Abdullah; Habib, Yawar; Faizan, Mohammad
Climate change is increasing the frequency of droughts, posing a significant threat to crop yields, particularly for drought-sensitive species like rice (Oryza sativa). Drought stress adversely impacts the physiological and biochemical functions of plants, ultimately resulting in lower productivity. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap concerning effective approaches to alleviate drought-induced damage and boost productivity in rice. We hypothesize that the application of silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) can enhance drought tolerance in rice by influencing its physiological and biochemical responses. To evaluate this hypothesis, rice plants were cultivated under well-watered and drought-stressed 20% of polyethylene glycol (PEG; MW 6000) conditions using a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications. The results revealed that applying various concentrations of SiO2-NPs (50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 200 mg/L) significantly improved growth and enhanced key physiological and biochemical traits such as protein content, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant activity. It also significantly elevated Fv/Fm levels by 29%, 22%, and 16% respectively by 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 200 mg/L concentrations of SiO2-NPs. Activity of several key antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 41%, 35%, and 33%, catalase (CAT) by 38%, 33%, and 31%, peroxidase (POD) by 47%, 41%, and 37%, and proline content by 29%, 26%, and 24%, under drought stress, respectively. Moreover, SiO2-NPs (50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 200 mg/L) alleviated drought-induced oxidative stress by reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) level by 28%, 21%, and 15% and malondialdehyde (MDA) level by 31%, 23%, and 18%, respectively, compared to control plants. Furthermore, SiO2-NPs increased the concentration of total free amino acid (TFAA) and total soluble sugar (TSS) along with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). The results of this study indicated that different concentrations (50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 200 mg/L) of SiO2-NPs could improve plant resistance and lessen the negative effects of drought stress. The post-harvest performance and reproductive stage of drought-stressed rice treated with SiO2-NPs require more research.
Citation - WoS: 10
Citation - Scopus: 8
Calcium-Mediated Mitigation Strategies and Novel Approaches To Alleviate Arsenic Induced Plant Stress
(Elsevier Ireland Ltd, 2025) Alam, Pravej; Iqbal, Sumera; Waheed, Zainab; Eren, Abdullah; Shamsi, Anas; Shahwan, Moyad; Faizan, Mohammad
One worldwide environmental concern is the presence of potentially hazardous elements (PTEs) in air, soil, and water resources. Arsenic is one of the PTEs that is thought to be the most poisonous and carcinogenic. Plants exposed to arsenic may experience several morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes-even at extremely low concentrations. Arsenic toxicity to plants varies with its speciation in plants (e.g., arsenite, As(III); arsenate, As(V)), with the kind of plant species, and with other soil parameters affecting arsenic accumulation in plants, according to new study on arsenic in the soil-plant system. Arsenic stress modifies metabolic cascades in plants at different developmental stages by affecting the pattern of gene expressions mediated by small non-coding RNAs (micro-RNAs), which are essential for plant adaptation to oxidative stress and play a key role in the moderation of numerous cellular processes. In this review, we investigated the impact of calcium (Ca2 +) on the toxicity of arsenic in plant and soil environments. Plant grown with arsenic exhibited enhanced arsenic uptake, increased oxidative stress and growth inhibition. Arsenic toxicity modulates carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism along with DNA structure. Role of Ca2+, Ca channels and Ca sensors to signaling pathways also described briefly. A worldwide issue for humanity is the poisoning of soil ecosystems by arsenic. Its toxicity, tolerance, and phytoremediation of polluted soils utilizing calcium were the main points of the recent review, which also highlighted the significant mechanisms of arsenic in soil-plant systems.
Citation - WoS: 2
Citation - Scopus: 2
Nano-Enabled Biochar Modulate Arsenic Toxicity in Plants: a Step Towards Crop Safety and Health
(Springer Int Publ Ag, 2025) Faizan, Mohammad; Sharma, Pooja; Eren, Abdullah; Afzal, Shadma; Alam, Pravej; Baran, Mehmet Firat; Hayat, Shamsul
As global agricultural demands continue to rise amidst increasing environmental stressors, enhancing plant resilience has become a critical necessity. Heavy metals (HMs), especially arsenic (As), severely impact crop productivity and quality, threatening global food security and human health. Arsenic toxicity disrupts normal physiological, biochemical and molecular processes in food crops due to its eco-toxicological effects. Nano-enabled biochar (Nano-BC) has emerged as a promising soil amendment capable of mitigating As-induced oxidative stress in horticultural crops by modulating stress responses, enhancing detoxification pathways and improving plant resilience. This review comprehensively examines the interactions of Nano-BC with soil matrices and microbial communities, highlighting its dual role in influencing soil health and plant growth. While Nano-BC improves soil structure, increases nutrient retention and supports beneficial microbial populations, its potential long-term ecological impacts and interactions with native microbial communities require further evaluation. Furthermore, we discuss the mechanisms by which Nano-BC modulates As bioavailability, phyto-toxicity and detoxification pathways in horticultural crops. Advances in Nano-BC applications have demonstrated its potential in producing "pollution-safe" crops, yet challenges remain regarding its environmental fate and persistence. Future research should focus on optimizing Nano-BC formulations to enhance its efficiency while minimizing unintended ecological consequences. By integrating Nano-BC into sustainable agricultural practices, we can move closer to achieving food security, mitigating HM stress in crops and aligning with global sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Citation - WoS: 16
Citation - Scopus: 15
Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles for Sustainable Agriculture: a Tool To Combat Salinity Stress in Rice ( Oryza Sativa) by Modulating the Nutritional Profile and Redox Homeostasis Mechanisms
(Elsevier, 2025) Dogan, Yusuf; Alam, Pravej; Sultan, Haider; Sharma, Renuka; Soysal, Sipan; Baran, Mehmet Firat; Faizan, Mohammad
The use of nanoparticles (NPs) as an amendment to reduce salt toxicity has gained much attention. Keeping in mind, this research work was done to evaluate the effect of zinc oxide NPs (ZnO-NPs) to mitigate the salt stress in rice (Oryza sativa) plant. Rice plants were subjected to salt stress (150 mM of NaCl) at 15 days of sowing through the soil. ZnO-NPs were characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and were applied foliar at concentration of 100 mg/L for five consecutive days (26-30 DAS). The results confirmed the salt toxicity and reduced shoot length (27 %), root fresh weight (31 %), SPAD chlorophyll (29 %), net photosynthetic rate (24 %), and nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and zinc (Zn) uptake by 9 %, 11 %, 13 % and 17 % respectively, while salinity increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes, proline, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in rice plants. However, in plants grown under salt stress, foliar application of ZnONPs significantly improved growth, photosynthesis, nutrient uptake and antioxidant enzymes activity. Beside, ZnO-NPs reduced salinity-induced oxidative stress by lowering H2O2 and MDA content. Therefore, our research showed that ZnO-NPs is useful and efficient in encouraging growth and lessening salinity stress in rice plants.
Citation - WoS: 6
Citation - Scopus: 4
Supplementation of Silicon Oxide Nanoparticles Mitigates the Damaging Effects of Arsenic Stress on Photosynthesis, Antioxidant Mechanism and Nitrogen Metabolism in Brassica Juncea
(Nature Portfolio, 2025) Faisal, Mohammad; Ozcinar, Aynur Bilmez; Karadeniz, Erdal; Faizan, Mohammad; Sultan, Haider; Alatar, Abdulrahman A.
Nanoparticles (NPs) represent one of the most promising platforms for addressing challenges in drug delivery, biosensing, and the development of advanced biotechnological tools. These innovative materials are revolutionizing modern agriculture by enabling precision farming practices that optimize resource utilization and enhance crop productivity. This study investigates the role of silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs, 200 ppm) in mitigating arsenic (As, 50 mu M) toxicity in Brassica juncea. The results demonstrate that As stress significantly impaired morphological and physiological parameters, as well as the accumulation of key metabolites, including flavonoids, phenolics, proteins, soluble sugars, and free amino acids. However, foliar application of SiO2 NPs effectively alleviated As-induced toxicity by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities and maintaining nutrient homeostasis. The application of SiO2 NPs also positively influenced growth parameters, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and soluble sugar content. Notably, SiO2 NPs improved the transpiration rate by 52%, leaf nitrogen content by 33%, and phenolic content by 42%. Furthermore, there was a significant reduction in oxidative stress markers, with hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde levels decreasing by 41% and 39%, respectively, indicating reduced oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation. These findings underscore the promising potential of SiO2 NPs in mitigating As stress and offer valuable insights for promoting sustainable crop production under environmental stress conditions.
Citation - WoS: 1
Citation - Scopus: 1
Unveiling the Ameliorative Effects of Soil-Mediated Nano-Biochar and Calcium Oxide Nanoparticles on Drought Tolerance in Oryza Sativa: Insights into Biochemical Responses, Reactive Oxygen Species, Photosynthetic Pigments and Nutrient Homeostasis
(Springer, 2025) Bilge, Ugur; Rajput, Vishnu D.; Eren, Abdullah; Yalcin, Mehmet; Habib, Yawar; Faizan, Mohammad
This study investigates the synergistic effects of calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaO NPs) and nano-biochar (nano-BC) on drought-stressed rice (Oryza sativa), a combination that has not been extensively explored in previous research. While individual applications of NPs or BC have been studied, the concurrent use of CaO NPs (as foliar spray) and nano-BC (as soil amendment) offers a novel integrative approach for enhancing drought resilience. The study demonstrates that, this combined application significantly mitigates drought-induced damage, as evidenced by improvements in physiological and biochemical traits. Notably, the treatment enhanced net photosynthetic rate (P-N) by 96.46%, stomatal conductance (gs) by 93.75%, and total soluble sugar (TSS) by 95.22% compared to drought-stressed plants. It also improved protein content, nitrogen accumulation, and transpiration rate. Additionally, reductions of 56% in malondialdehyde (MDA) and 59% in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) indicate alleviation of oxidative stress. These findings provide new insights into the potential of nanomaterial-based interventions for sustainable rice cultivation under water-limited conditions, offering a promising strategy to improve crop resilience in the face of climate change.
Citation - WoS: 18
Citation - Scopus: 20
Small Molecule, Big Impacts: Nano-Nutrients for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security
(Elsevier Gmbh, 2024) Faizan, Mohammad; Singh, Aishwarya; Eren, Abdullah; Sultan, Haider; Sharma, Meenakshi; Djalovic, Ivica; Trivan, Goran
Human existence and the long-term viability of society depend on agriculture. Overuse of synthetic fertilizers results in increased contamination of the land, water, and atmosphere as well as financial constraints. In today's modern agriculture, environmentally friendly technology is becoming more and more significant as a substitute for conventional fertilizers and chemical pesticides. Using nanotechnology, agricultural output can be improved in terms of quality, biological support, financial stability, and environmental safety. There is a lot of promise for the sustainable application of nano-fertilizers in crop productivity and soil fertility, with little or no negative environmental effects. In this context, the present review provided an overview of the benefits of using nanofertilizers, its application and types. Mechanistic approach for increasing soil fertility and yield via nanofertilizers also described in detail. We concluded this article to compare the advantages of nanofertilizers over chemicals and nano-chemicals. Nonetheless, additional investigation is required to comprehend the effects and possible hazards of nanomaterials in the food production chain.