Find in Library

Bamboo forests cover a remarkable area of Chinese forestland. Recently, titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) have been used for plant protection against abiotic stress. In this study, an in vitro tissue culture experiment was conducted to determine the impact of titanium on plant tolerance to two different heavy metals (Cu and Pb). Bamboo plants (<i>Arundinaria pygmaea</i> L.) were grown using five concentrations of TiO₂ NPS (0, 50, 80, 100, and 150 µM) without or with 100 µM Cu and 100 µM Pb for 30 days. The results showed that while Cu and Pb increased the generation of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) compounds in plants, TiO₂ NP treatments played a positive role in reducing oxidative stress, as indicated by the decrease in ROS compounds, the extent of lipoperoxidation, and soluble proteins. On the other hand, the use of TiO₂ NPs increased the total antioxidant capacity, chlorophyll content and general plant biomass. Moreover, the addition of TiO₂ NPs significantly reduced Cu, and Pb accumulation in roots, stems, and shoots. We concluded that TiO₂ NPs have the ability to reduce oxidative stress in plants by increasing the antioxidant capacity, improving the level of injury, and protecting cell membranes via reducing lipoperoxidation (reduction of Malondialdehyde (MDA) content). However, the results indicated that the efficiency of TiO₂ NPs was related to the type and concentration of heavy metal, as TiO₂ NPs were more effective for Cu than Pb. Additionally, a high concentration of TiO₂ NPs resulted in the greatest enhancement in plant growth and development under heavy metal stress.