Assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating IAA on tomato development: from seed to fruit

Abstract Polymeric nanoparticles have emerged as promising nanocarriers for plant growth regulators (PGRs) in agriculture, enhancing plant growth and boosting fruit and cereal yields. Among these, lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) stand out due to their biodegradability and low production cost. However, f...

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Main Authors: Rodrigo Faleiro, Magda Andreia Tessmer, Anderson Espirito Santo Pereira, Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto, Marcelle Sanches Rampasso, Marcela Trevenzoli Miranda, Maria Dolores Pissolato, Fábio Cassola, Rafael Vasconcelos Ribeiro, Juliana Lischka Sampaio Mayer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:BMC Plant Biology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06539-1
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author Rodrigo Faleiro
Magda Andreia Tessmer
Anderson Espirito Santo Pereira
Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto
Marcelle Sanches Rampasso
Marcela Trevenzoli Miranda
Maria Dolores Pissolato
Fábio Cassola
Rafael Vasconcelos Ribeiro
Juliana Lischka Sampaio Mayer
author_facet Rodrigo Faleiro
Magda Andreia Tessmer
Anderson Espirito Santo Pereira
Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto
Marcelle Sanches Rampasso
Marcela Trevenzoli Miranda
Maria Dolores Pissolato
Fábio Cassola
Rafael Vasconcelos Ribeiro
Juliana Lischka Sampaio Mayer
author_sort Rodrigo Faleiro
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Polymeric nanoparticles have emerged as promising nanocarriers for plant growth regulators (PGRs) in agriculture, enhancing plant growth and boosting fruit and cereal yields. Among these, lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) stand out due to their biodegradability and low production cost. However, few studies have evaluated the biological effects of LNPs encapsulating PGRs — particularly their dose-dependent impacts across the entire plant life cycle. Therefore, our study aims to evaluate the efficiency of lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) encapsulating indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) compared with free application of the hormone. We employed a multidisciplinary approach to comprehensively assess the impacts of different LNPs-IAA concentrations. Germination tests and morphometric analyses were conducted, along with anatomical analyses of seeds, seedlings, and vegetative organs using light microscopy. Confocal microscopy analyses to examine LNP uptake and translocation. Additionally, leaf gas exchange parameters and photosynthetic pigment levels were measured. The lignin nanoparticles were also characterized in terms of length, polydispersity index, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency. All variables were subjected to normality tests, variance analysis, and post-hoc tests. Structural analysis revealed that LNP application did not alter overall plant anatomy architecture, except for inducing differences in xylem area among vegetative organs. Additionally, LNPs were rapidly absorbed by seeds in less than 5 h and were transported exclusively via the apoplastic pathway. The composition of lignin nanoparticles influenced germination rates and time. Application with lower concentrations showed minimal statistical significance, whereas higher concentrations exhibited phytotoxic effects. Thus, our study highlights the critical importance of optimizing nanocarrier concentrations for plant growth enhancement, demonstrating that lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) represent a promising nanoformulation for bioactive compound encapsulation.
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publishDate 2025-06-01
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series BMC Plant Biology
spelling doaj-art-28252f3f88c74ed39d6ffe4f031a296e2025-08-20T03:26:42ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292025-06-0125111410.1186/s12870-025-06539-1Assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating IAA on tomato development: from seed to fruitRodrigo Faleiro0Magda Andreia Tessmer1Anderson Espirito Santo Pereira2Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto3Marcelle Sanches Rampasso4Marcela Trevenzoli Miranda5Maria Dolores Pissolato6Fábio Cassola7Rafael Vasconcelos Ribeiro8Juliana Lischka Sampaio Mayer9Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autómoma de MéxicoLaboratorio de Pós-Colheita, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”Institute of Science and Technology of Sorocaba, Department of Environmental Engineering, São Paulo State University – Unesp,Institute of Science and Technology of Sorocaba, Department of Environmental Engineering, São Paulo State University – Unesp,Laboratório de Anatomia Vegetal, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de CampinasLaboratory of Crop Physiology (LCroP), Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, Universidade Estadual de CampinasDepartment of Plant Physiology, Umeå UniversityDepartamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa CatarinaLaboratory of Crop Physiology (LCroP), Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, Universidade Estadual de CampinasLaboratório de Anatomia Vegetal, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de CampinasAbstract Polymeric nanoparticles have emerged as promising nanocarriers for plant growth regulators (PGRs) in agriculture, enhancing plant growth and boosting fruit and cereal yields. Among these, lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) stand out due to their biodegradability and low production cost. However, few studies have evaluated the biological effects of LNPs encapsulating PGRs — particularly their dose-dependent impacts across the entire plant life cycle. Therefore, our study aims to evaluate the efficiency of lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) encapsulating indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) compared with free application of the hormone. We employed a multidisciplinary approach to comprehensively assess the impacts of different LNPs-IAA concentrations. Germination tests and morphometric analyses were conducted, along with anatomical analyses of seeds, seedlings, and vegetative organs using light microscopy. Confocal microscopy analyses to examine LNP uptake and translocation. Additionally, leaf gas exchange parameters and photosynthetic pigment levels were measured. The lignin nanoparticles were also characterized in terms of length, polydispersity index, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency. All variables were subjected to normality tests, variance analysis, and post-hoc tests. Structural analysis revealed that LNP application did not alter overall plant anatomy architecture, except for inducing differences in xylem area among vegetative organs. Additionally, LNPs were rapidly absorbed by seeds in less than 5 h and were transported exclusively via the apoplastic pathway. The composition of lignin nanoparticles influenced germination rates and time. Application with lower concentrations showed minimal statistical significance, whereas higher concentrations exhibited phytotoxic effects. Thus, our study highlights the critical importance of optimizing nanocarrier concentrations for plant growth enhancement, demonstrating that lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) represent a promising nanoformulation for bioactive compound encapsulation.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06539-1Crop scienceEncapsulationPlant growth regulatorsNanotechnologySustainability
spellingShingle Rodrigo Faleiro
Magda Andreia Tessmer
Anderson Espirito Santo Pereira
Leonardo Fernandes Fraceto
Marcelle Sanches Rampasso
Marcela Trevenzoli Miranda
Maria Dolores Pissolato
Fábio Cassola
Rafael Vasconcelos Ribeiro
Juliana Lischka Sampaio Mayer
Assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating IAA on tomato development: from seed to fruit
BMC Plant Biology
Crop science
Encapsulation
Plant growth regulators
Nanotechnology
Sustainability
title Assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating IAA on tomato development: from seed to fruit
title_full Assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating IAA on tomato development: from seed to fruit
title_fullStr Assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating IAA on tomato development: from seed to fruit
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating IAA on tomato development: from seed to fruit
title_short Assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating IAA on tomato development: from seed to fruit
title_sort assessment of the impact of biodegradable lignin nanoparticles encapsulating iaa on tomato development from seed to fruit
topic Crop science
Encapsulation
Plant growth regulators
Nanotechnology
Sustainability
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06539-1
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