Table 3.
Studies of nanobiofortification of agri-food crops using nanosized micronutrients.
| Targeted Plant | Assay | Improvement in Nutritional Value | Contribution to Crop Productivity | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) | Greenhouse experiment applying copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs). | Enhancement of potassium (16%), vitamin C (122%), lycopene (106%), total protein (99%), total phenols (36%), and flavonoids (16%) contents. | Tomato fruit firmness improved by 29%. Titratable acidity (TA) decreased by 16.33%. TSS increased by 6%. | [146] |
| Melon (Cucumis melo L.) | Shade house trail using Cu-NPs. | Cu-NPs increased copper content (540%), vitamin C (22%), phenolic (39%), and flavonoid (28%) contents in the melon pulp. | Fruit weight was increased by 41%, fruit firmness by 29%, and TSS content by 25%. | [147] |
| Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) | Greenhouse test with selenium, silicon, and copper nanoparticles (Se-, Si-, and Cu-NPs) under saline stress. | Treatments improved 76% lycopene (76%), β-carotene (51%), phenols (65%), and flavonoid (175%) contents in fruit. | Chlorophyll a was increased by 79%, chlorophyll b by 75%, and total chlorophyll by 72–52%. | [148] |
| Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) | Pot study evaluating Se-NPs. | Fruit magnesium, iron, zinc, and phenol increased by 29.8%, 27.6%, 21%, and 39%, respectively. Selenium was bioaccumulated in the fruits. | Shoot and fresh root biomass increased by 35% and 20.7%. Number of fruits and fruit postharvest longevity improved by 25.3% and 38%. | [149] |
| Mango Mangifera indica L. cv. Zebda and Ewasy | Field trial with 14-year-old mango trees using NPKMg nanoparticles. | NPs enhanced vitamin C (18%), total sugar (30%), and TSS (19%) in mango fruit. Leaf N, P, and K chlorophyll increased by 19%, 34%, 18%, and 26%, respectively. | Nanofertilizer increased the fruit edible portion (48%), fruit weight (28%), shoot length (23%), and yield per tree (47%). | [150] |
| Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) | Field experiment with Botrytis cinerea infected plants applying calcium carbonate (CaCO3)-NPs and iron oxide (Fe2O3)-NPs. | Nano-treatment increased vitamin A (10.8-fold), C (1.7-fold), and E (2.7-fold) in fruit. Ca and Fe contents also increased by 102% and 157%. | NPs improved cell wall fractions such as cellulose (58.7%), pectin (108%), hemicellulose (131.7%), and lignin (1.61%) in fruits, and decreased B. cinerea infection by 85.6%. | [151] |
| Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) | Growth chamber assay with titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs). | TiO2-NPs elevated Na (5%), K (26%), Ca (76%), Mg (67%), Fe (39%), Mn (107%), Zn (37%), and B (62%) in shoots. Soluble protein content increased by 21.1% in roots. | Shoot, and fresh root biomass (12.3% and 13.2%) and dry biomass (10.7% and 27.4%) were improved. | [152] |
| Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) | Greenhouse test evaluating zinc and iron oxide nanoparticles. | Zn concentration improved in grain (105%), shoots (24%), and roots (19%). Fe concentrations also increased in grain (121%), shoot (28%), and roots (29%). Chlorophyll a (55%), chlorophyll b (133%), and carotenoids (112%) were also improved. | Plant height and spike length were increased by 37% and 50%. Shoot, root, spike, and grain (dry weights) were enhanced by 53%, 46%, 69%, and 74%. Cadmium contents decreased in grain, shoot, and root by 83%, 38%, and 55%. | [153] |
| Maize (Zea mays) | Field study testing ZnO-NPs. | ZnO-NPs enhanced N (78%), K (126%), P (20%), Zn (260%), and cellulose (8.5%) contents. | The number of plants (46%), plant height (15%), stover yield (40%) and fresh shoot (45%) and root (79%) weight were increased. | [154] |