TABLE 4.
Toxic effect of ZnO NPs over physiological, biochemical and molecular functioning of different plants.
| Plant | Concentration of ZnO NPs | Mode of application of ZnO NPs | Toxic effect | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maize | 800 mg/kg - 3,200 mg/kg | Direct mixing of ZnO powder in the soil | Reduced mineral uptake, chlorophyll and carotenoid content | Liu et al. (2015) |
| Mustard | 500mg–1500 mg/L | ZnO NPs were supplemented in the culture medium | Inhibited seed germination and stem explant culture growth | Zafar et al. (2016) |
| Onion, Tobacco and Faba beans | 200–800 mg/L | Hydroponic treatment | Induced root cells death and DNA damage. Increased production of ROS and H2O2 | Ghosh et al. (2016) |
| Barley | 20 mg and 40 mg/kg | Seed treatment for 7 days in the dark at 25°C | Decreased chlorophyll, SOD, APX, proline, and glutathione content | Doğaroğlu and Köleli (2017) |
| Tomato | 200mg–800 mg dm-3 | Three-week old seedlings were treated with ZnO NPs suspension | Reduced shoot and root growth, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b content. Downregulated the expression of SBPASE, FBPASE, CAO, CHLG, CRD1, CHL1, HEMG, HEMB and HEMC photosynthesis genes | Wang et al. (2018) |
| Wheat | 12 mg dm-3 | Callus cells | Increased MDA content and reduced the activity of SOD and POX antioxidant activity | Czyżowska and Barbasz (2019) |