Carbon nanoparticles synergistically improve drought tolerance and nutraceutical innovation in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.): Antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-fibrotic activities enhanced via flavonoid accumulation.

Authors

Jiyue Wang, Mingli Yang, Xiuhuan Meng, Taoying Chen, Nian Chen, Yan Wang, Chenggang Liang, Bin Du

Published in

Food chemistry: X. Volume 39. Pages 104584. Epub Oct 10, 2026.

Abstract

Drought stress severely constrains okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) productivity and bioactive quality, yet effective mitigation strategies remain limited. Here, we demonstrate that carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) not only enhance drought tolerance-through improved root architecture, water uptake, and photosynthetic efficiency-but also uniquely reprogram flavonoid metabolism. Metabolomic profiling revealed 1025 metabolites; flavonoids were most responsive, with CNPs under drought specifically activating flavone and flavonol pathways, driving 1.55-6.86-fold accumulation of bioactive flavonoids (rutin, quercetin). Purified flavonoid extracts exhibited enhanced antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and suppressed hepatic stellate cell activation markers, suggesting nutraceutical potential beyond stress mitigation. This work establishes a dual-function CNP strategy that simultaneously improves agronomic resilience and enriches health-promoting metabolites in a major vegetable crop, addressing a critical gap in nano-enabled sustainable agriculture.

PMID:
42927229
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Oct 2026.

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