Synergistic Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Leaf Extract Alleviates Cadmium Toxicity in : Antioxidants and Physiochemical Studies.

Among heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) is one of the toxic metals, which significantly reduce the growth of plants even at a low concentration. Cd interacts with various plant mechanisms at the physiological and antioxidant levels, resulting in decreased plant growth. This research was conducted to exploit the potential of synergistic application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and leaf extract in mitigation of Cd stress in linseed ( L.) plants. The main aim of this study was to exploit the role of leaf extract and ZnO NPs on Cd-exposed linseed plants. Cd concentrations in the root and shoot of linseed plants decreased after administration of MZnO NPs. Growth parameters of plants, antioxidant system, and physiochemical parameters decreased as the external Cd level increased. The administration of MZnO NPs to the Cd-stressed linseed plant resulted in a significant increase in growth and antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, the antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) exhibited a considerable increase in the activity when MZnO NPs were applied to Cd-stressed seedlings. The introduction of MZnO NPs lowered the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (HO) in the linseed plant grown in Cd-toxic conditions. The NPs decreased electrolyte leakage (EL) in Cd-stressed linseed leaves and roots. It was concluded that synergistic application of ZnO NPs and leaf extract alleviated Cd stress in linseed plants through enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes. It is proposed that role of MZnO NPs may be evaluated for mitigation of numerous abiotic stresses.