Influence of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Cadmium Toxicity on Germination of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt &Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, KSA

2 Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, KSA

Abstract

This work aimed to study the influence of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on Cadmium (Cd) toxicity on
germination of Faba bean (Vicia faba L.). The results indicated that, the levels of Zn and Cd significantly increased in
shoot and root in a correlation with their dose. The levels of shoot and root Cd decreased in plants treated with the
increasing of ZnONPs dose. ZnONPs and/ or Cd increased the shoot length, shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight
and whereas decreased root length, root length /shoot length and root dry weight in comparison with the control.
ZnONPs and/ or Cd decreased the Mean Daily Germination MDG, Germination Index GI, Coefficient of Velocity of
Germination CVG, Promptness index PI, Germination stress tolerance index GSI, Seedling vigor index SVI and Root
length stress tolerance index RLSI whereas increased Mean Germination Time MGT in comparison with control.
ZnONPs at 250 mg L-1 with Cd 50 mg L-1 showed the highest decrease in MDG, GI, CVG, PI and GSI whereas MGT
recorded highest values. The highest decreased in SVI was shown in ZnONPs at 500 mg L-1 with Cd 25 mg L-1.
Meanwhile, the highest decreased in RLSI was shown in ZnONPs at 1000 mg L-1 with Cd 50 mg L-1. It can be
concluded that, ZnONPs decreased Cd level in the seedling of Faba bean, as well as germination parameters whereas
increased some growth parameters.

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