Peganum harmala-mediated green synthesis of Ag, Cu, and Ag-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles for the chemical mitigation of nickel-induced oxidative stress in Triticum aestivum L.

Authors

Amjid Khan, Tauqeer Ahmed Qadri, Rashid Abbas Khan, Muhammad Anas, Dilawar Hassan, Ayesha Sani, Bushra Ashiq, Zabta Khan Shinwari, Malik Maaza

Published in

RSC advances. Jul 03, 2026. Epub Jul 03, 2026.

Abstract

The remediation of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils requires sustainable, eco-friendly agronomic interventions. This study reports the application of pre-synthesized and thoroughly pre-characterized silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and Ag-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) originally fabricated via a Peganum harmala-mediated green synthesis pathway. We investigate these pre-characterized NPs as nano-chemical regulators to mitigate nickel (Ni) toxicity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), focusing on the relationship between nanoparticle composition (monometallic vs. bimetallic) and the modulation of the plant's chemical defense and metal translocation pathways. While the baseline structural baseline, including crystalline properties, chemical capping, and size distribution (20-30 nm), was established in our prior work via UV-Vis, XRD, FTIR, SEM/TEM, and DLS analyses, the current investigation focuses entirely on evaluating their downstream agronomic efficacy. Application of 250 mg L^-1 NPs via seed priming and foliar spray under 100 mg kg^-1 Ni stress significantly altered the plant's biochemical profile. Cu-NPs provided the most robust growth response, increasing grain yield by 21.3% in the Borlaug-16 cultivar. Chemically, the Ag-Cu bimetallic system demonstrated superior antioxidant stimulation, enhancing total phenolic and anthocyanin contents by 112.82% and 116.86%, respectively. This was accompanied by a synergistic enhancement of SOD (90.7%) and POD (122%) enzymatic activities, which led to an 82.7% reduction in H₂O₂ oxidative markers. Crucially, ionomic analysis revealed that Ag-Cu NPs act as chemical facilitators for Ni mobility, increasing the translocation factor from roots to grains (TF up to 4.2). These findings demonstrate that repurposing these green-synthesized nanoparticles effectively reprograms the wheat plant's chemical response to heavy metal stress. While the bimetallic Ag-Cu NPs provide superior biochemical protection against oxidative damage, they simultaneously promote the mobilization of Ni into edible tissues. This study highlights a critical chemical trade-off between physiological resilience and toxicological safety, providing essential data for the design of "smart" nano-agrochemicals that balance crop productivity with food safety requirements.

PMID:
42405029
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Jul 2026.

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