Iris publishers-Global Journal of Nutrition & Food Science (GJNFS)

 

Prevalence of Stunting in Children and Adolescents from Bankura District of West Bengal, India

Authored by Sudip Datta Banik*

Abstract

Under nutrition in children is an important public health issue in India, particularly from the rural areas. The objective of the present study was to evaluate height and prevalence of stunting among school-going children and adolescents. A cross-sectional study was undertaken among schoolgoing children and adolescents from Purulia district in West Bengal, India. The participants were 6 to 9-year-old children (76 boys, 64 girls) and 10 to 17-year-old adolescents (289 boys, 175 girls). Girl children were taller (118.44 cm) than boys (115.72 cm). However, adolescent boys showed higher mean value of height (141.15 cm) than that recorded among girl peers (136.94 cm) with significant sex difference. High prevalence of stunting has been recorded among children (boys 46.10%, girls 43.8%) and adolescents (boys 77.2%, girls 72.0%).

Introduction

Low height-for-age (stunting) in children and adolescents is an indicator of chronic energy deficiency and growth failure [1] that is related to Social-Economic-Political-Emotional (SEPE) inequalities and insecurities [2]. Poor socioeconomic background, inadequate diet, and unhealthy living conditions may cause under nutrition in children and adolescents [3]. The objective of the present study was to evaluate height and prevalence of stunting among school-going children and adolescents from Purulia district in West Bengal, India.

Keyword: Height; Under nutrition; Stunting; Children; Adolescents

Methods

The study was carried out in 2008 in some selected schools at Kashipur in Purulia district of West Bengal. The sampling was not probabilistic. The study has been approved by the institutional committee before the commencement of work as part of a master’s thesis. The parents of the participants gave permission to record anthropometric data from the minors who gave verbal assent. The participants were 6 to 9-year-old children (76 boys, 64 girls) and 10 to 17-year-old adolescents (289 boys, 175 girls). Age of the participants has been recorded from the birth certificate issued by the local government authority and decimal age was estimated from the date of survey. Height was measured to the nearest tenth of a centimeter using a standard stadia meter (Seca, Germany), following standard procedure [4]. Height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) were calculated using the WHO Anthro and WHO Anthro Plus software and stunting was defined as reported earlier [1]. Data analysis was done using Microsoft ® Excel. Descriptive statistics of age and height (mean values and standard deviation) were calculated and sex difference of characteristics was estimated using Student’s t-test. Prevalence of stunting has been estimated. Statistical significance was set a priori at p < 0.05.

Results

Age (years) and height (cm) showed significant sex differences in children and adolescents except for height in children (Table 1). Girl children were taller than boys. However, adolescent boys were taller than the girl peers. High prevalence of stunting has been recorded among children (boys 46.10%, girls 43.8%) and adolescents (boys 77.2%, girls 72.0%).

Discussion

The present study shows very high prevalence of stunting in children and adolescents from Kashipur in Purulia district of West Bengal. Prevalence of stunting in children from India has been reported to be high [5]. Previous studies from different districts of West Bengal State also reported high prevalence of stunting in children and adolescents. Studies were cross-sectional in nature. Rate of stunting was 51.7% and 48.4% in boys and girls respectively in Barasat and Madhya gram regions near Kolkata [6]. Among Santals (a scheduled tribe) from Birbhum district, children aged 6-10 years were found to be stunted (>60%) [7]. Remarkable stunting (26%) was also recorded among 1 to 14-year-old children from Lodha community (a scheduled tribe) in Paschim Medinipur [8]. Nearly 50% children were stunted among Kora Mudi tribal community in Paschim Medinipur [9]. In Purba, Medinipur district, 9 to 13-year-old Bengali children were stunted (14.6%) [10]. From Hooghly district, a study reported prevalence of stunting (27%) among 11 to 18-year-oldadolescent girls [11]. In Puruliya district, frequency of stunting was also high among 5 to 12-year-old Santal boys (22%) and girls (14%) [12]. Among 5 to 12-year-old children from Darjeeling district, boys had higher rate of stunting (37%) than girls (34.59%) [13]. Another study from Darjeeling district also reported majority of 11 to 19-year-oldboys (55.4%) were stunted and the prevalence was much higher than that recorded among girl (25%) [14]. In conclusion, high prevalence of stunting recorded in the present study shows similar pattern of high-degree under nutrition in school-going children and adolescents reported from other districts of West Bengal that calls for nutrition intervention program.

To read more about this article:https://irispublishers.com/gjnfs/fulltext/prevalence-of-stunting-in-children-and-adolescents-from-bankura-district-of-west-bengal.ID.000559.php

For more  Open Access Journals in Iris publishers please click on: https://irispublishers.com/pdf/peer-review-process-iris-publishers.pdf

Iris publishers-Global Journal of Nutrition & Food Science (GJNFS)

 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Recommendations to Address Healthy Food Access in the United States

 Authored by Victor Romano*

Abstract

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded program to provide food assistance to struggling Americans. The SNAP program, currently under review, is proposing a nearly 30% decrease, thus eliminating benefits for at least 4 million people and reducing benefits for many others. The current SNAP program only provides $1.40 per meal per person, leading to families rely on foods that are less expensive, and often provide less nutritional value, to stretch out their monthly allotment. The new SNAP proposal would drastically cut 260,000 store options around the country, in favor of a new government-driven approach of providing boxed food for SNAP households. SNAP participants are currently at a significant disadvantage in terms of dietary quality relative to non-participants in fruit and vegetable consumption. This policy change would further increase this issue. Food insecurity, even marginal food security, is associated with chronic and costly health problems and behaviors among adults. SNAP participants may be at a higher risk of having a nutritional intake pattern of low consumption of all the five major food groups, while also consuming larger than recommended amounts of fats, sugars, and sodium. Not only are SNAP participants consuming less across all main food groups, their dietary quality is less than non-SNAP participants including whole grains, leafy green vegetables, and healthy meats, due to costs. With the SNAP program currently under review, we recommend the following policy changes,

• Increase participant availability through innovative options to increase consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains,

• Increase benefit disbursal to promote more frequent purchases with the goal to increase purchases of fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy meats, and

• Develop and implement nutrition education strategies to educate participants about spending their benefits on more nutritious, cost-effective meals.

Keyword: SNAP; Healthy Food; Food Policy Recommendation

SNAP Eligibility

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a federally funded program to provide food assistance to those that struggle to afford it. This program provides timely, targeted, and temporary benefits to people in need. SNAP has helped millions of low-income Americans have the necessary nutritional support and is one of the largest programs working to fight hunger. As changes happen to the population, the SNAP program changes to meet needs. Although SNAP was created to help those in assistance, only certain people are eligible [1].

To be eligible to receive SNAP benefits, the income for a household must be a certain amount. Because SNAP is targeted for the citizens most at-risk, predominantly serving households with children, elderly or disable members, it is limited to people with gross income up to 130 percent which is what the government considers the poverty line. This means that families with up to four members can make no more than 2,633 dollars a month if they want benefits from the SNAP program. Able-bodied adults without dependents can only receive three months of benefits during any three-year period if they’re not working a minimum of 20 hours per week or participating in a training program. The law claims that it allows states to confer “categorical eligibility” on those that have been eligible for similar means-tested programs like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) [2].

There are many concerns for the SNAP program. Studies have found that the current issues for this program one example is Block granting SNAP, which typically provides a fixed amount of federal funding for a state and is then that state (not the Federal Government) takes responsibility for determining how the program is operated. This gives States flexibility to determine the program’s policies to their specific needs and circumstances, there are tradeoffs on a positive note. If funding is fixed, the program may no longer respond to increased needs, for example during an economic downturn. Also, in the absence of national eligibility standards, it’s possible that two people with identical circumstances may receive different benefits because they are in a different State [3].

Another example of an issue would be the limited type of food participants can buy. Limiting the sources of food a participant can purchase not only takes out the consumers’ choice but it can reduce SNAP participants. Although this restriction does make consumers eat healthier, it may not be as effective as wanted if the number of SNAP participants lower and can also be ineffective if bought with their own money. Store eligibility is another one, to become authorized to use SNAP, a food retailer must follow the eligibility requirements which is constantly being modified. This can make stores change what is being sold in their stores by having healthier sources for the participants in the SNAP program. Although this can seem as a good thing, it can also be an issue as this can lower the number of stores that can be authorized and also can decrease the number of future participating stores [4].

In July 2019, the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) created a loophole that allows people that would have not been eligible, able to participate. Some states have expanded the use of categorical eligibility, this was done so that more households who receive SNAP may participate in these other programs. For example, they could receive an information brochure, a “benefit” which is often given without determining income or assets. This is why SNAP financial eligibility standards are not determined the same way for households in states that have adopted the “expanded categorical eligibility” or “broad based categorical eligibility”. As a result, households that would not be eligible under regular program rules would be qualified to participate in the program [5].

In summary, the SNAP program is a federal funded program to assist low-income families. It is a program to fight hunger in America and although it has many benefits, eligibility takes a certain amount of income and not just anybody can be authorized. The SNAP program has concerns like block granting SNAP, limited food sources, and store eligibility. There are suggested improvements to make the program better. One proposed solution was to revise SNAPs categorical eligibility, this would let more people participate and provide more help for low-income homes. The SNAP program is a good way to fight hunger, but eligibility seems to be an issue for participants.

Health Equity Gap of People on SNAP

Health equity means that all groups of people are afforded the same chance and opportunity to be healthy. Some sources report that SNAP helps to minimize health inequity by providing assistance with the cost of health and nutritious foods that participants may have not been able to get otherwise. On average, SNAP is able to provide participants with $1.40 per meal per person (Carlson). While this may seem like a small amount, it is said to have benefited its participants with not only the resources to purchase food, but food security and better health. As an effect, participants and their families have to spend less on health care. One study found that the cost of health care decreased by about 25% or $1,4005.

On the other hand, some research shows that SNAP is not helping to improve the health equity of low-income families. There are still barriers that keep families that rely on SNAP from reaching their full health potential. The issues occur are concerns of obesity and other chronic diseases, financial stability, lack of access to health foods due to lack of time, transportation, or shopping centers, and a lack of knowledge and support with healthy eating habits [6].

In terms of food stability, SNAP only provides a little support. Research found that participants had to search for assistance outside of the help SNAP provided [7]. Having to use other resources, such as borrowing money adds extra stress to the participant. For some families, paying for bills is more important than worrying about the kind of food they will eat. This being said families rely on foods that are less expensive and often provide less nutrition. Food lacking in proper nutrition and the over consumption of food, especially unhealthy foods, can result in obesity. Without fixed regulations on the federal or state level, there is a positive correlation between the amount of years spent on SNAP and obesity [8].

SNAP Participants Lack Nutrient-Dense Food

Statistically significant disadvantage in terms of diet quality relative to comparable nonparticipants, in the areas of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain products. An intake pattern in which low consumption of all the five major food groups has been observed, and a pattern of consuming large amounts of fats and sugars was recorded. It can be assumed that the association between higher weights of participants and program participation gives cause to examine caloric density versus nutrient density of availability of SNAP food [9]. Female food stamp users tend to weigh an average of 11 more pounds than non-food stamp users10. Generally, individuals in low-income households tend to consume diets that promote chronic conditions such as obesity, morbidity, and premature mortality. These individuals’ diets have a pattern of low consumption of fruits and vegetables and high consumption of processed foods [10], specifically a decrease of dark green/orange vegetables [11].

Sodium Levels in SNAP Approved Foods

Processed foods are high in sodium. The top ten high sodium foods consumed by Americans according to the CDC are bread rolls, pizza, sandwiches, cold cuts/cured meats, soups, burritos, tacos, savory snacks, chicken, cheese, eggs, omelets. Excess sodium can increase a person’s risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease and stroke. On average Americans consume over 3400mg of sodium (equivalent to 1 ½ tsp of salt) daily. According to Guidelines of Adequate Intakes (AI), the AI of sodium is 1500mg a dad [12]. Whereas the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDDR) suggests an intake of no more than 2300mg a day [13].

There was a study completed in 2018 that showed and compared dietary trends of SNAP participants and non-SNAP participants. The research showed a slightly lower sodium intake for SNAP participants averaging at 3,100 mg/d compared to income eligible nonparticipants who averaged an intake of 3,239mg/d and high-income individuals who averaged an intake of 3,330 mg/d. Although SNAP participants are consuming less sodium than the other groups, it is still over double the recommended intake, which is a cause for concern. Processed meat servings consumed were an average 5% higher for SNAP participants [14]. This study does not indicated participant’s purchasing habits, especially those that purchase mostly processed foods, as many participants do this to same time and money, and their respective sodium intake.

SNAP Meat Options

Health is a challenging concept to define as there is not finite answer that works across the board because all humans react to stimuli differently. The easiest factor to manipulate in terms of health that reaps the greatest benefit is diet. What we consume leads to how our bodies are able to carry out with our daily activities. Animals are similar in this aspect, as what they consume leads to the quality of their products. This stresses the importance of understanding how the nutrition of animals can affect their byproducts and impact individual’s nutrition. The, composition of the different meat products can lead to different reactions in our bodies. Beef is often comprised of mainly fat and the easiest way to manipulate this fatty acid composition is through dietary fat, energy level, and forage concentrates [15]. By highlighting better quality meat by altering their diets, support programs like SNAP can incentivize families to purchase these goods and farmers to raise healthier livestock whose products can improve long term health. However, altered diets can lead to different tastes of meat, reduced shelf life, and metallic taint. The link between FA and heart disease. A Higher intake of Saturated Fatty Acids (FA) has been identified as high-risk factor for heart disease [16].

A diet consisting of high intakes of omega-3 fatty acids is often associated with good heart health. This assumption is correct as the intake of these healthy fats facilitate benefits such as, fetal development, cardiovascular function, Alzheimer’s disease, and overall healthy aging. These fatty acids are best consumed through fish and fish-oil supplements. Consuming a healthy amount of these omega-3 fatty acids can aid in long term health as it carries an array of benefits to facilitate a healthy aging process. Omega-3 fatty acids also contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which carry the benefits found in pre-natal development and healthy aging [17].

Incentivizing the purchase of fish for the SNAP program can allow those in the program to have the necessary nutrients their bodies need to properly develop [18]. EPA and DHA which is found in large amount in fish, have been found to reduce major coronary artery events and be as effective as aspirin due to the facilitation of blood flow [19]. This stresses the importance of consuming a healthy amount of products that contain these compounds to ensure our bodies have the necessary nutrients to live a healthy life. Ultimately, the SNAP program should incentivize the purchase of products containing these fatty acids.

Wild game is often more difficult to access than farmed meat due to scarcity, but both provide different nutritional benefits primarily due to the manipulation of diets. The manipulation of animal’s diets lead to different compositions of meat [20]. A fattier and less active lifestyle will increase bulk on an animal and yields a product with higher fat composition than an active and wild animal. Grass fed beef is found to yield similar meat composition in the wild and farmed conditions. This is most likely due to the similar diets in farmed conditions as well as wild. Wild animals tend to consume higher quality food that contain better nutrients as most diets of the farmed meat are synthetically made such as grains. Farmed animals tend to consume fatty grains which add bulk to help meet the demands of the product [21]. Wild animals do not consume hormones and chemical additives found in the grains. Wild game is leaner and contains larger protein amounts than Farmed meat due to the diet’s differences. Wild meat also contains lower amounts of saturated fats but have higher amounts of unsaturated fats which are linked to better brain and heart health [22].

Organic and conventional meat have different compositions that can aid in long term health. Organic beef has been found to have “17% less cholesterol, 32% less fat, 16% less fatty acids, 24% less monounsaturated fatty acids, 170% more α‐linolenic acid, 24% more α‐tocopherol, 53% more β‐carotene, 34% more coenzyme Q10 and 72% more taurine than conventional beef.” Organic pork reported higher amounts of E coli when compared to conventional pork. “Organic pork also showed lower amounts of antimicrobial resistance in E coli.” This antimicrobial aids in reducing the development and spread of this food borne bacteria [23].

Current SNAP recommendations limit what meat sources can be purchased. Fish type and freshness is limited to frozen farm raised. Meat is non-organic and lower quality than that of what is not SNAP approved. Wild game is not covered either as it is considered a luxury purchase, with a loophole of famer markets that do not list the name of meat on the receipt, just that cost of the meat. This is a questionable practice that can get the vendor it trouble depending on the strictness of the oversight organization in charge within their location.

Conclusion

In December 2019, the United States announced a plan to update the work requirements for SNAP eligibility that would eliminate benefits for an estimated 700,000 people in the United States. The current rule allows states to provide waivers to those who do not meet the minimum work requirement of 20 hours per week for three months in a 36-month period [24]. The new rules would eliminate the power of states to provide waivers for work requirements for able bodied adults ages 18-49 who do not have children and are not disabled. While SNAP may have nutritional limitations and stringent requirements, removing this waiver will effectively eliminate the main source of food for SNAP recipients in low-income areas with high unemployment.

With the SNAP program currently under review and with no chance of removing the work requirement, we recommend the following policy changes to address the issues about the lack of quality of food that is brought up in this paper:

1) Increase participant availability through innovative options to increase consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

2) Increase benefit disbursal to promote more frequent purchases with the goal to increase purchases of fresh fruit, vegetables and healthy meats.

3) Develop and implement nutrition education strategies to educate participants about spending their benefits on more nutritious, cost-effective meals.

To read more about this article:https://irispublishers.com/gjnfs/fulltext/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap-recommendations-to-address-healthy-food.ID.000558.php 

For more  Open Access Journals in Iris publishers please click on: https://irispublishers.com/pdf/peer-review-process-iris-publishers.pdf

Iris publishers-Global Journal of Nutrition & Food Science (GJNFS)

 

Review of Salt Reducing and Fertility Improvement in Vegetable Facilities in Saline-alkali Land

 Authored by Dong Xiaoxia*

Abstract

High salinity, low soil organic matter content and poor soil structure severely limited vegetables production in saline-alkali area. In vegetable facilities, drip irrigation could significantly induce salt content, improve water and nutrition utilization rate though forming “desalinized soil layer”. Application of organic manure could alleviate salt stress by increasing soil organic matter content, promoting the formation of soil aggregate structure, decreasing pH and increasing nutrients in saline-alkali soil. Application of conditioner on saline-alkali soil could partly improve soil physicochemical properties with decreasing salt content.

Keyword: Desalinized soil layer; Drip irrigation; Organic manure; Soil conditioner; Saline-alkali land; Vegetable facility

Introduction

Saline-alkali area distributed in China was the 3rd largest on earth which is about 99 million hectares (ha). Most of that is distributed at arid area in northwest China (13 million ha) and sea coastal area (8 million ha) [1]. Saline-alkali soil at sea coastal area is disadvantage for the production of vegetables. Soil basic characteristics including high water soluble salt content, low soil organic matter content (<20 g/kg), viscous structure, crusting heavy clay, poor ventilation and high soil density, which induce low soil temperature, water release speed and permeability rate, strong capillarity, inactivity soil aerobic microorganisms [2-3]. Salt tolerance of vegetables planted in facilities is weak that growth of most vegetables would be inhibited when soil salt content is more than 2g/kg. Negative effect on germination rate, seedling time, flowering and fruiting rate, production quality were observed when soil salt content is 2-5 g/kg, and the plants were prone to premature aging, growth point atrophy, poor photosynthesis with smaller leaf area at the later stage [4]. When soil salt content is 6-10 g/kg, symptoms such as nutrient deficient, root growth inhibition appeared and in severe case, roots decay or stems and leaf wither by high salt content. Soil salinity generally results in reduction of 20%-30% on vegetable production, and sometimes more than 50% [5].

Otherwise, lack of freshwater resources is another major limit factor for the development of agriculture in coastal saline areas. Irrigation techniques, such as drip irrigation can effectively enhance yield while save water and fertilizer. Due to the soil types and vegetables species, micro-irrigation and fertilization techniques should be formula according to vegetables uptake water and nutrient.

Discussion

Drip irrigation to leach salt

Field experimental results showed that drip irrigation continuously drips water to form high frequency and small amount of water to leach soil salts, therefore the pulse gradually pushed the salts outward, resulting in the concentration of salt at the edge of the wetting edge. In case of multiple drip heads, the wetting fronts overlap each other that causing the lateral movement of salt to move downward and forming a whole plane of downward leaching salt, so 0-20cm soil become “desalinized soil layer”. After the formation of “desalinized soil layer”, vegetables that requires high amount of fresh water was chosen to plant. The appropriate soil water content should be 20-40 Kpa (close to field water-holding capacity). Through drip irrigation to reduce salt, the salt content in the 0-20 cm soil layer with heavy salinity can be reduced from 7.10 g/kg to 1.64 g/kg, forming the “desalinized soil layer” that can plant vegetable without inhibition [6]. Drip irrigation under plastic mulch in long term avoided salt accumulation caused by chemical fertilizers with flooding irrigation. Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42-, and Clin soil decreased in negative exponential power function curve with the extension of drip irrigation years and uptake rate of water and nutrients improved significantly in saline areas [7].

Organic manure application

Application of organic manure could alleviate salt stress by increasing soil organic matter content, promoting crumb aggregate formation and decreasing soil pH in saline-alkali soil. Studies showed that application of organic manure was an effective method to improve saline-alkali soil fertility as it could increase soil organic matter, promote the formation of soil aggregates, improve soil structure [8], and reduce soil pH [9]. The result of field experiments and pot trials showed that soil pH significantly decreased and soil salt-exchangeable ion components significantly altered after application of organic manure, while soil organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium contents significantly increased on soda saline-alkali soil [10]. Long-term application of organic manure can change the composition of soil aggregate and improve the soil physicochemical properties [11].

Soil conditioner supplication

Soil conditioner could partly improve the soil physicochemical properties and decrease soil salt content on saline-alkali area. It is pivotal to choose best type and amount of soil conditioner for economical and ecological benefits [12-14]. Application of sulfurcontaining conditioner with suitable amount significantly relieved soil hardening and salinity to ameliorate the soil environment for vegetable growth and improve vegetables yield and quality in Tianjin city. Comprehensive input-output was best with applying soil conditioner of 2.25-3 t/ha [15].

It was utilized to saline-alkali soil amelioration by spraying the compound microorganism based on the coordinated degradation of organic matrix. With 5:1 ratio of organic fertilizer to soil, application with compound microorganism composed by bacillus licheniformis, pseudomonas, flavobacterium and sphingomonas with ratio of 1:3:3:1 in 0.5% concentration could enhance the utilization capacity of soil organic matter and significantly increase the number and diversity index of soil microorganisms. Vegetables biomass increased by 30.2% compared to organic fertilizer treatment after 50d growth experiment [16].

Conclusion

Saline-alkali land are back-up resources for arable land to guarantee increasing food demand of increased population, therefore, it is worthy to systematic study in future. Saline-alkali soils in vegetables facilities formed “desalinized soil layer” through drip irrigation. Vegetable yield could be increased through application of organic manure, soil conditioner containing mineral or microorganism by increasing soil organic matter content, promoting soil aeration and crumb aggregate formation, and reducing soil pH. Furthermore, studies is necessary on soil salt reducing, fertility improvement and integrating approaches on water and fertilizer in vegetable facilities at coastal saline-alkali land.

To read more about this article: https://irispublishers.com/gjnfs/fulltext/review-of-salt-reducing-and-fertility-improvement-in-vegetable-facilities-in-saline-alkali-land.ID.000557.php

For more Open Access Journals in Iris Publishers please click on: https://irispublishers.com/pdf/peer-review-process-iris-publishers.pdf

Indexing List of Iris Publishers: https://medium.com/@irispublishers/what-is-the-indexing-list-of-iris-publishers-4ace353e4eee

Iris publishers google scholar citations:

https://scholar.google.co.in/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=irispublishers&btnG

Iris publishers-Global Journal of Nutrition & Food Science (GJNFS)

Turmeric

 Authored by Çagla Ayer*

Abstract

Abbreviations: HDL: High Density Lipoprotein, SOD: Superoxide Dismutase, CAT: Catalase, GPx: Glutathione Peroxidase, LDL: Low Density Lipoprotein, MetS: Metabolic Syndrome, IL-6: Interleukin 6

Introduction

“Turmeric” or “Indian saffron”, a member of the Curcuma longa L Zingiberaceae family, is a large-leaved, long-lasting herbaceous plant with yellow flowers. Turmeric’s homeland is South Asia; It is widely located in the tropical areas of China, Indonesia, India, Thailand and Africa. Curcumin is a yellow pigmented substance of Curcuma longa. It is generally used as a coloring agent in foods, it is odorless, heat-resistant and contains tetra-hydrocumin, an antioxidant compound. Curcuminoids (curcumin, demetoxicurcumin, bisdemetoxicurcumin) are the main ingredients of turmeric. Curcumin has been reported to have many other pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects [1,2].

Effect on Insulin Resistance

There is clinical evidence that supplementation with curcuminoids improves glucose homeostasis parameters and insulin resistance, and positively alters serum adipokine levels, such as adiponectin and resistin [3]. Curcumin has recently been reported to inhibit the development of diabetes, reduce insulin resistance in vivo, and improve β-cell function. The potential of curcumin therapy against various diabetic complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy and neurochemical changes in the brain stem caused by diabetes has been reported [2]. According to the study conducted with curcumin in individuals with type 2 diabetes, it was determined that lipoprotein A decreased and HDL cholesterol increased after 12 weeks of treatment, and it was determined that it can be used in the treatment of dyslipidemia in individuals with type 2 diabetes [4].

Effect on Obesity

Curcumin has been shown to be an anti-adipogenic dietary bioactive component that is most effective in the early stage of adipocyte differentiation [5]. Ejaz, et al. [6] in a study found that curcumin reduced body weight, inhibited angiogenesis, in adipose tissue, differentiated preadipocytes, reduced hepatic cells and adipocyte fat accumulation. Another study has shown that curcumin inhibits the increase in body weight and total fat mass as a result of a high-fat diet [7]. It has been shown that the animal model of Calebin A, one of the bioactive components of turmeric, inhibits adipogenesis and hepatic steatosis in both in vitro and high-fat diet induced obesity [8].

Antioxidant Effect

With its phenolic structure and β diketone derivative, curcumin has been shown to have protective effects against oxidative stress and its harmful consequences. Curcumin, the antioxidant property of which is almost the same compared to vitamin C and vitamin E; helps to reduce lipid peroxidation by protecting antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT, GPx. In addition, curcumin has been found to be effective in lipid peroxidation as good as α-tocopherol in liposomes [1]. Tripathy, et al. [9] have shown that curcumin protects rats from middle cerebral artery occlusion. In a study carried out by Rattah, et al. [10] rats were given a high fat diet and turmeric extract was given to one of the groups turmeric extract have prevented atherosclerosis, reduced LDL cholesterol. In a meta-analysis study, it has been shown that curcuminoids have an important effect in reducing serum SOD and CAT activities, GSH concentrations and serum lipid peroxides [11]. In another study supporting this result, it was clearly demonstrated that curcumin supplementation improves systemic antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation and inflammation biomarkers in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Similarly, in a previous study in obese individuals with high risk of MetS, it was found that supplementation of curcuminoids with piperine reduced the rate of proxidant/antioxidant levels. Another study in patients with tumors found that an eight-week supplementation with a lecithinised curcuminoid preparation (180 mg / day) have improved serum SOD activities, as well as other antioxidant indices, including serum CAT activities and reduced concentrations of glutathione and thiobarbituric acid reactive species [3].

Anti-Inflammatory Effect

As a result of the inhibition of cycloxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes in the colonic mucosa with the addition of curcumin to the diet, arachidonic acid metabolism was inhibited and antiinflammatory activity was observed. Studies have shown that turmeric delays the occurrence of inflammatory chemicals such as leukotriene, prostaglandin, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin and reduces their negative effects [1]. In one study, the combined anti-inflammatory effect of powdered turmeric and linden was reported to be as effective as cortisone in carrageenan induced edema [12]. Chuengsmarn et al. [13] have observed that curcumin reduces inflammatory markers, improves glucose metabolism, and in addition reduces weight and waist circumference. The results of a significant reduction of IL-6 with curcumin supplement support the idea that this nutraceutical agent may play a role in suppressing pro-inflammatory pathways associated with different diseases [14]. Curcumin can be used as an immunotherapeutic agent in the treatment of tumor and infectious diseases [15].

Anti-Cancer Effect

Extracts of turmeric plant have been shown to prevent the growth and spread of cancerous cells. In a study, the use of turmeric extracts have been found to have a certain inhibitory effect on prostate cancer cells with high metastases [16]. It has been stated that curcumin causes apoptosis in cancerous cells without damaging healthy cells and prevents tumor growth in animal models and prolongs life in cancerous animals. It has been reported that curcumin has antitumor effect in many cancer types such as mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, breast, duedenum, colon, prostate cancers. In studies in vivo and in vitro, curcumin has been shown to inhibit carcinogenesis in three stages; it blocks the initiation of the tumor by blocking the metabolic activation of carcinogenic compounds or by stimulating its detoxification. It is also stated that it inhibits the development and progression of the tumor by increasing apoptosis, inhibiting the progression of the cell cycle, enabling control of transcription factors, suppressing the inflammatory response, inhibiting angiogenesis and metastasis, which are important for the nutrition of the tumor [1]. It shows that Calebin A, a component found in turmeric, has a strong anticancer activity against leukemic, myeloid and other cancer cells [17].

As a result, regarding to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activities, turmeric is a food that has several health benefits. Therefore, it should be included in our daily diet to benefit from its positive effects on health including preventing from diseases and even treatment.

To read more about this article: https://irispublishers.com/gjnfs/fulltext/turmeric.ID.000556.php

For more Open Access Journals in Iris Publishers please click on: https://irispublishers.com/pdf/peer-review-process-iris-publishers.pdf

Indexing List of Iris Publishers: https://medium.com/@irispublishers/what-is-the-indexing-list-of-iris-publishers-4ace353e4eee

Iris publishers google scholar citations:

https://scholar.google.co.in/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=irispublishers&btnG

Iris publishers-Global Journal of Nutrition & Food Science (GJNFS)

Studying the Effect of Tio2 Nanoparticles on Seed Germination Characteristics of Ziziphora Clinopodioides Lam

 Authored by Reyhaneh Azimi*

Abstract

Improvement in the rate and amount of germination of seeds has a very important effect on the establishment of primary seedlings and the increase of rangeland production. The rapid and uniform germination of seeds leads to the successful establishment of plants. The use of nanoscale materials can help germinate faster seeds. Therefore, in this study, the effects of TiO2 nanoparticles in concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 and 80 mg/ L on the rate and speed of seed germination of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. paid. This design was carried out in a completely randomized design with four replications for 20 days at a constant temperature of 20°C under 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness at the Germinator of Natural Resources Faculty of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The results showed that germination percentage of treated seeds with TiO2 nanoparticles increased to 23% ppm compared to control treatment. Also, in other concentrations of other nanoparticles, there was a positive effect on speed and germination percentage, so that the effect of different concentrations of nanoparticles on germination characteristics of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. seeds was significant. The highest germination percentage was observed in the concentration of 30 ppm and the lowest germination rate at 30 and 20 ppm concentrations. In high concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles, no positive effects were observed on the germination characteristics of seed Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. To conclude the use of TiO2 nanoparticles can be improved by improving the seed germination properties of the medicinal plant Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. that cause increases plant’s establishment in natural areas.

Keywords: Nanoparticles, Tio2, Germination, Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam

Introduction

Nanotechnology research is the background of advanced technology, which has led to the rapid development of electronic science, biotechnology, medicine, space science and defense industries. So far, few studies have been done on the effects and mechanisms of nanoparticles on plant growth [1]. Examples of the unique properties of nanoparticles include a very high specific surface area, high surface energy, and quantum imprisonment. These unusual properties may even affect their fate and environmental behavior in both mass and non-nanoscale materials [2]. Plants, ex cept for the foundation of all ecosystems, play a crucial role in the fate and transfer of nanoparticles in the environment through absorption and bioaccumulation. Silicon oxide and titanium dioxide are the most commonly used nanoparticles used in the industry. Of course, some of them are also used in agriculture and natural resources. Below we will investigate several studies on the role of these nanoparticles in the germination of different plant species.

Among different methods, nanoparticles (NPs) of different metal oxides by absorbing water, oxygen and nutrients and having the antimicrobial properties can affect seed germination percentage, improve growth, dry weight, photosynthesis, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and plant metabolism [3]. Thus, soaking seeds in NP solution can be used as an option to increase seed germination percentage. The application of 100% TiO2-NP treatment increased seed germination percentage, germination index, germination energy, vigour index, seedling height and fresh weight of Pinus tabulaeformis Carrière [4]. The effect of silver NPs on Boswellia ovalifoliolata N.P. Balakrishnan & A.N. Henry caused an increase and acceleration of the seed germination percentage [5].

Abdel Latef, et al. (2017) [6] in a research titled “ Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Improve Growth and Enhance Tolerance of Broad Bean Plants under Saline Soil Conditions” compared the effects of three different nTiO2 concentrations (0·01%, 0·02% and 0·03%) with respect to plant growth and stress responses. The 0·01% nTiO2 application significantly increased shoot length, leaf area and root dry weight of plants under normal conditions.

Feizi, et al. (2012) [7,8] concluded in a study titled “ Effects of various concentrations of nanoparticles and non-nano-titanium dioxide on seed germination and seedling growth of fennel”, which showed that germination percentage of seeds was significantly increased in treatment Application of concentration of 60 mg/l titanium oxide nanoparticles (76%) increased compared to other treatments and control (54%). The average germination time improved by application of nanoparticles with a concentration of 40 mg / L compared to the control by about 31%, while non-nano particles improved the mean germination time by only 21%. In general, the use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles as an option for seed that has a germination problem and a low germination percentage can be used. Also, Feizi et al. (2013) [9], in another study titled “The effects of plant and native titanium dioxide on the fennel,” showed that with the concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles at 0, 5, 20, 40, 60 and 80 After 14 days of inoculation, the germination percentage increased to 31.8% (60 ppm TiO2 nanoparticles) with non-nano TiO2 after 14 days of inoculation. The same positive effects were observed for stem dry weight and germination. Behnam, et al. (2012) [10], in a study titled “The effect of titanium nanoparticles and non-nanodioxid on germination performance of Echinacea purpurea under drought stress”, concluded that the application of titanium dioxide treatment on the seeds of Echinacea purpurea in conditions without The stress on roots and length of seedling length and root length, rootstock and seedlings, seed vigor index, I and II, and mean germination time at 1% were very significant in drought stress conditions. Drought stress at 3-bar intensity did not negatively affect the most traits such as percentage and speed of germination, average daily germination and seed vigor index I and II in Sardinia. The concentration of 159 mg / L of non-nano titanium dioxide increased the length of stem, root, and seedlings compared to the control 3 times. In the face of drought stress, the application of 100 milligrams per liter of nanoparticles and non-nano particles often improves the germination characteristics of Echinacea purpurea and can be recommended in areas with drought stress. Feizi, et al. (2013) [9] in a study titled “Comparative effects of different levels of titanium dioxide in nano and non-nano plants of Salvia officinalis L.” concluded that after 21 days of inoculation, Germination increased with 60 mg/l nano-titanium dioxide and non-nano, but did not affect root and shoot length and biomass. Agheli, et al. (2016) [11], in a study titled “Silybum marianum L. seed germination induction using titanium dioxide nanoparticles and magnetic field”, which was tested as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three Repeated experiments were carried out and the first factor was seed treatment at different concentrations of titanium dioxide nanoparticles containing 50, 10, 0 and 100 mg/l, and the second factor of the treatment of seeds with a magnetic field at 0.30, 60 and 90 millitesla for 30 minutes showed that the highest percentage of seed germination in the interaction of nanoparticles of TiO2 nanoparticles with a concentration of 100 ppm and intensity The magnetic field intensity was 30 millitesla and the application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with a concentration of 50 ppm and magnetic field intensity of 60 milliseconds. These treatments improved the germination percentage by 5.6 and 5.7 times the control treatment. Feizi, et al. (2012) [7,8] showed in a study titled “The reaction of wheat seed to different concentrations of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2) compared to non-nano particles”. Experimental treatments were based on seed’s germination percentage and germination rate did not have a significant effect but had a significant effect on average germination time. The lowest mean germination time (MGT) was 0.89 days at a concentration of 10 ppm nanoparticles of TiO2 and the highest was observed in the control treatment with 1.35 days (Table 2). Therefore, the concentration of 10 ppm nanoparticles of non-nano TiO2 reduced the MGT content by 34% compared to the control, while the concentration of 10 ppm TiO2 in non-nano, MGT did not changed against the control. One-year-old seedlings of Pine (Larix elgensis) were placed in concentrations of 62, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 μl/l of nano silicon dioxide (SiO2) for about 6 hours. Nano treatment greatly improved the growth and quality of seedlings. Treatment with 500 μl/liter had the best result, with an increased average height of 42.5%, a root diameter of 30.7%, a root length of 14%, and the number of lateral roots of seedlings of 31.6% in comparison with control. Also, treatment with 500 μl/l showed the highest concentration of chlorophyll [12]. Lee, et al. (2008) [13] examined the toxicity of copper nanoparticles on beans and wheat and stated that TiO2 concentrations had a significant effect on root dry weight but did not have a significant effect on stem and seedling dry weight. Takallo, et al. (2012) [14], in a study titled “The effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on germination and cytogenetic indices of barley plant, showed that the comparison of nanoparticle treatments compared to control increased the index of chromosomal deviations of barley, whereas on other cytogenetic indices and germination traits had no significant effect. A few study has been done on the effects of NP-TiO2 and TiO2 on various plants such as Triticum aestivum, Zea mays, Salvia officinalis [15,16]. NP-TiO2 can improve the structure of chlorophyll, increase light absorbance, facilitate formation of pigments, better capture of sunlight and transfer of light energy to active electrons, chemical activities and having effect on photosynthesis [17]. Jiang, et al. (2017) [18] showed that seed germination indices markedly improved upon seed exposure to TiO2. Samadi, et al. (2014) [19] showed that TiO2 in higher concentration had pronounced effects on photosynthetic pigments while lower concentration of NP-TiO2 had significantly increased root length. root length was significantly influenced by 100mg L-1 concentration of NP-TiO2 rather than non NP-TiO2 concentrations. Pronounced effect on photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids) was found in 200mg L-1 concentration of TiO2 and 100mg L-1 concentration of NP-TiO2.

Mahmoodzadeh et al. (2013) in a study named as Physiological effects of TiO2 nanoparticle on wheat (Triticum aestivum) showed that NP-TiO2 at higher concentration decreased the shoot and root length of radish, rape, corn, lettuce and cucumber. Movafeghi, et al. (2018) [20] showed that The increasing concentration of TiO2-NPs led to the significant decrease in all of the growth parameters and changes in antioxidant enzyme activities. The activity of superoxide dismutase enhanced significantly by the increasing concentration of TiO2-NPs. Enhancement of superoxide dismutase activity could be explained as promoting antioxidant system to scavenging the reactive oxygen species. In contrast, the activity of peroxidase was notably decreased in the treated plants. Reduced peroxidase activity could be attributed to either direct effect of these particles on the molecular structure of the enzyme or plant defense system damage due to reactive oxygen species.

The mixing of SiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles with the low concentration, increased nitrate reductase activity in soybean rhizosphere, resulting in increasing of soybean germination and growth [21]. It has been reported that nanoparticles can accelerate soybean germination and growth and prevent rotting by molds. Nanoparticles can enhance roots power and nitrate reductase activity and improve the root ability to absorb water and fertilizer and increase the activity of antioxidants, dismutase and catalase enzymes and improve soybean resistance to stress [22]. The remarkable effect of nanoparticles is probably due to the small size of the particles, which allows its penetration into the seed. In a study by Ivani, et al. (2012), the effect of nano silica and non-nano silicon dioxide particles on stress tolerance of Trigonella foenum-graecum seedlings, the results of the analysis of variance showed that the levels of water stress and nano and non-nano silicon dioxide treatments had a significant effect on the studied traits.

The results of Zhang, et al. (2005) [1] showed that spinach (Spinacia oleracea) old seeds germination rate was very low. Treatment with TiO2 increased the rate by 23%, but treatment with nano TiO2 significantly increased germination rate, germination index, seedling dry weight and Vigor index of older seeds. In spinach (Spinacia oleracea), the best treatment was 5.2 per 1000 of TiO2 nanoparticles, with the fresh and dry weight of each plant increasing by 63% and 76%, respectively against the control [1]. All treatments significantly affected germination percentage and germination rate. The highest germination percentage was observed in the seeds of titanium nanoparticles with concentrations of 30 (48%), 40 and 20 mg/l (35%), and the lowest rate of germination in the seeds impregnated with titanium nanoparticles with concentrations of 30 (29.9 days) and 20 (6.9 days) were observed [1]. The germination percentage of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds was affected by SiO2. A significant positive effect on rootlet length was observed on all concentrations of nano Al2O3 and 400 nano SiO2 concentrations, while other concentrations, as well as nano Fe3O4 and ZnO, showed inhibitory effects on root length. All concentrations of ZnO contained fewer leaves [23]. Khodakovskaya, et al. (2009) [24] showed that carbon nanotubes with concentrations of 10-40 mg/l increased germination and tomato growth, which is probably due to the ability of carbon nanotubes to penetrate the seed crust and stimulation of water absorption.

Materials and Methods

Introducing the plant used in the experiment

Mountain Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. belongs to the genus Ziziphora, the plant has a height of 10 to 40 centimeters. Booty and stable, a woody base, and sometimes it has a stem of pubes with different densities. The aerial parts of the Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. are widely used in traditional medicine and pharmaceutical industries of Iran [25]. The resistance of the mountain Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. to drought is suitable and can be used for cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions [26]. Also, since plants have essential oils such as peppermint plants (Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. and etc.) have a good function in semi-arid and Mediterranean regions, these plants can be considered as a commercial product for Iran and an alternative surplus product [27]. The geographical distribution of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. in the world is in the Eastern Balkan Peninsula, Southwest Asia and Central Asia to the Pamir Himalaya Mountains (Iran, Iraq, and the central and eastern parts of Turkey) and Africa [28]. Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. grows in Iran in mountainous areas, rocky and deposit slopes, and steppe areas at altitudes between 800 and 3700 m above sea level [28].

Laboratory operations

Germination test was performed in two stages. In the first step, in order to study the quality and percentage of germination of the Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam., 25 healthy seeds of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. were placed in petri dish in four replicates and germination test was done with distilled water for 20 days. After 20 days of the experiment, the germination percentage of the Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. seed was about 25% and very low. Therefore, different concentrations of nanoparticles were used to improve the seed germination characteristics of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the different concentrations of titanium nanoparticles on the germination traits of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. seed. For this purpose, 7 treatments containing different concentrations of 0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 mg/l nanoparticles of titanium particles were performed in a completely randomized design with four replications. The seeds of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. were obtained from Khorasan Razavi Natural Resources Office. The titanium dioxide nanoparticle powder was as AEROXIDE® TiO2 P25, that prepared from Evonik DegussaGmbH company in Germany. The purity of nanoparticle powder was 99.8%, the average particle size was 21 nm and its specific surface area was 50 m2/g (Figures 1 to 4). Non-nano iron oxide was prepared from AppliChem GmbH Germany with a purity of 99% and a particle size of about 1 micrometer. Before the experiment, the size of the nanoparticles was determined by an STM tunnel microscope (STM) at the Central Laboratory of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Also, purity and their compounds were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) at Damghan University of Science.

In order to obtain the desired concentrations, we first weighed the nanoscale materials in distilled water. Ultrasound bath was used for 20 minutes to prepare a uniform suspension. 2 ml of prepared suspension was placed in per petri dish along with 25 seeds. In the control group, 2 ml of distilled water was added. In the next steps, if necessary, only distilled water was added to the dishes. Seed scratching treatment was performed at 4°C for one week (ISTA, 2009). This experiment was carried out at germinator of the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad at a temperature of 20 centimeters under 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. To prevent evaporation of the extract and loss of moisture, Petri dishes port were laid and placed in plastic. The germinated seeds were counted and recorded daily. Seed counting continued until 20 days after starting germination. Data and daily measurements were entered into Excel spreadsheet software and after processing, statistical analysis of data was done by SPSS18 and Minitab16 softwares and the meanings were compared by Duncan’s multiple domain tests at 5% probability level.

Data Analysis

The following equations were used to determine the rate of germination from the formula of Maguire (1982) and the mean germination time (MGT) [29]:

Germination rate (GR) = (a/1) + (b-a/2) + (c-b/3) + …..+ (n-n- 1/N) Equation (1)

In which, GR, the germination rate according to germinating seed per day, a, b, c, and n represents the number of germinated seeds after 1, 2, 3 and N days after starting to absorb water.

MGT = ΣF (X)/ ΣF Equation (2)

In this equation, MGT, the average germination time (day), F: The number of new seeds germinated on the day of counting Xi and X is the day of counting. In this experiment, Mean daily germination, Pick value and Germination value was calculated from the following equations [30]:

Daily germination average (MDG)= Germination percent/Total days of experiment Equation (3)

maximum value (PV) (GV) = highest number of germinated seeds per day/ germination day Equation (4) germination value= PV × MDG Equation (5)

Results and Discussion

In Figure 1-4, it can be seen an image of the size of the titanium dioxide nanoparticles, using a tunneling scanning microscope (STM), a topographic image of the titanium dioxide nanoparticles, using a tunnel scanning microscope (STM), illustration of the size of the non-nano titanium dioxide particles using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction spectrum (XRD) of titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

The results of the analysis of variance showed that different concentrations of titanium nanoparticles had a significant effect on seed germination characteristics of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. Based on the results, different concentrations of titanium nanoparticles showed a significant effect on germination percentage, germination rate at 1% and 5% probability levels Table 1. Also, the comparison of the mean of different concentrations of titanium nanoparticles on the characteristics of germination of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. seed is given in Table 2.

In order to reduce the amount of data in the table of analysis of variance, only the mean square of the data and significant levels were used at the probability level of 1 and 5%.

The best rate of germination was observed at concentrations of 20, 30 and 40 mg Table 2. The concentration of 30 ppm of nanoparticles had the greatest effect on improving seed germi nation properties of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. Therefore, it seems that titanium nanoparticles can be one of the treatments to improve germination properties. Seed germination percentage of the control treatment was about 25%, while seed germination percentage reached 48% in the seeds treated with the nano-particles solution Table 2. The seeds that were treated with nanoparticles had the best results from the observations. The maximum germination percentage and the minimum germination time were about 48 and 29.9%, respectively, compared to the control. Germination speed improved from 12.23 days in control treatment to 9.29 days in nano-treated seeds (30 ppm). Germination percentage increased with increasing concentrations up to 30 mg/l, and then from 40 mg, germination percentage had decreasing trend Table 2, while Feizi et al. (2013a) [9], in a study titled “Effects of different concentrations of nano and non-nano titanium dioxide on seed germination and Foeniculum vulgare seedling growth”, concluded that seed germination percentage was significantly increased in the application of 60 mg/l (76%) than other treatments and control (54%).

Like the present study, Feizi, et al. (2013b) [15] showed that with a concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles, the germination percentage increased. Feizi, et al. (2012b) [8] showed which a concentration of 10 ppm nanoparticles of TiO2, decreased MGT until 34% relative to the control, while the concentration of 10 ppm of TiO2 non- nanoparticles did not change the MGT value compared with the control. Also, Behnam, et al. (2013) [10] concluded that the concentration of 159 mgr/l of non-Titanium dioxide nanoparticles increased the length of stem, root, and seedlings by 3 times against the control that is compatible to the present study. The results of Lee, et al. (2008) [13] showed that toxicity of copper nanoparticles in beans and wheat that TiO2 concentration had a significant effect on root dry weight, but no significant effect was observed on stem and seedling dry weight, that is compatible to the present study. Zhang et al. (2005) [1] showed that increased germination and dry weight are probably due to increased absorption of mineral nutrients and the photosynthesis process catalyzed by TiO2 nanoparticles. The remarkable effect of nanoparticles is probably due to the small size of the particles, which allows it to penetrate into the seed during the treatment period, that is compatible to the present study. Lu, et al. (2002) [21] reported that the mixture of SiO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles increased at low concentration of nitrate reductase in soybean rhizosphere, resulting in increased germination and soybean growth. According to Zhang et al. (2005) [1], nano TiO2 treatment significantly increased germination rate, germination index, seedling dry weight and Vigor index of older seeds, that is compatible to the present study. It is possible that superoxide and hydroxide ions increase the permeability of the seed and facilitate the entry of water and oxygen into the cell, and thus aggravate the seed germination metabolism [31-34]. In addition, the entry of TiO2 nanoparticles into cells can produce oxidation-reduction reactions through radical superoxide ions during germination in the dark, leading to the release of free radicals in the germinating seeds. The oxygen produced in such a process can be used for breathing, which will further stimulate germination, that is compatible to the present study.

All treatments of this study significantly affected germination percentage and germination rate. The highest germination percentage was observed in the seeds of titanium nanoparticles with concentrations of 30 (48%), 40 and 20 mg/l (35%), and the lowest germination rate were observed in the seeds impregnated with titanium nanoparticles with concentrations of 30 (29.9 days) and 20 (6.9 days).

Conclusion

Improvement in the rate and rate of seed germination has a very important effect on the establishment of primary seedlings and the increase of rangeland production. Rapid and uniform germination of seeds leads to the successful establishment of plants. The use of nanomaterials can help seeds to germinate faster. Therefore, in this research, the effects of TiO2 nanoparticles in concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 and 80 mg/l on the rate and speed of seed germination of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam were studied. The effect of different concentrations of titanium nanoparticles on germination percentage and germination rate of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. seed was significant at 1% and 5% probability level. Titanium nanoparticles in the concentration of 30 and 20 mg/l, stimulating effect and in higher concentrations had an inhibitory or neutral effect on seed germination of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. High concentrations of titanium nanoparticles in the germination stage had a negative effect on MGT, and the best and suitable concentration was used to stimulate growth and germination of 30 mgr/l of nanoparticles. These results indicate that the use of TiO2 nanoparticles can increase the establishment of this plant in natural areas by improving the seed germination properties of the Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. medicinal plant.

To read more about this article: https://irispublishers.com/gjnfs/fulltext/studying-the-effect-of-tio-nanoparticles-on-seed-germination-characteristics.ID.000555.php

For more Open Access Journals in Iris Publishers please click on: https://irispublishers.com/pdf/peer-review-process-iris-publishers.pdf

Indexing List of Iris Publishers: https://medium.com/@irispublishers/what-is-the-indexing-list-of-iris-publishers-4ace353e4eee

Iris publishers google scholar citations:

https://scholar.google.co.in/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=irispublishers&btnG