In a natural system, plants are experienced adverse effects of continuously
changing climatic conditions and various types of stress throughout their life in which
abiotic stresses are the major constraints that affect the growth and development of
plants. Metal-based nanoparticles are emerging as a new pollutant of concern because
of their widespread application in consumer products, which pose new challenges to
the environment due to their complex interaction and possible toxic effects on plants.
Plants absorb these metal nanoparticles (MNPs) from the soil along with other minerals
and nutrients. Nanoparticles cause phytotoxicity by adversely affecting plants at the
morphological, biochemical, physiological, and molecular levels. Various MNPs alter
growth, yield, photosynthesis, and mineral nutrient uptake and induce oxidative stress,
cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity in plants. Although plants have evolved various
mechanisms to cope with nanoparticles-induced stress. Coordinated activities of
antioxidants, some key regulatory genes and proteins regulate cellular function under
stress conditions. Understanding the interaction of MNPs with plants and elucidating
the behavior of genes and proteins in response to NPs stressors could lead to the
development of novel approaches to mitigate stress which will support agricultural
production. In this chapter, nanoparticle-induced physiological and molecular
responses and tolerance mechanisms in plants against the mechanistic action of
nanoparticles were described.
Keywords: Abiotic stress, Antioxidant, Genotoxicity, Nanoparticles, Phytotoxicity.
