Effect of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles on the Quality of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Grains

Abstract

Despite the remarkable number of publications on the interaction of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) with plants, knowledge of the implications of ENPs in the nutritional value of food crops is still limited. This research was performed to study the quality of rice grains harvested from plants grown in soil treated with cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2). Three rice varieties (high, medium, and low amylose) were cultivated to full maturity in soil amended with nCeO2 at 0 and 500 mg kg(-1) soil. Ce accumulation, nutrient content, antioxidant property, and nutritional quality of the rice grains were evaluated. Results showed that rice grains from nCeO2-treated plants had less Fe, S, prolamin, glutelin, lauric and valeric acids, and starch. Moreover, the nCeO2 reduced in grains all antioxidant values, except flavonoids. Medium- and low-amylose varieties accumulated more Ce in grains than the high-amylose variety, but the grain quality of the medium-amylose variety showed higher sensitivity to the nCeO2 treatment. These results indicate that nCeO2 could compromise the quality of rice. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on the effects nCeO2 on rice grain quality.

1H NMR and GC–MS based metabolomics reveal nano-Cu altered cucumber (Cucumis sativus) fruit nutritional supply

“…Rico et al showed that nCeO 2 decreased some of the nutrients in rice grains, including Fe, S, prolamin, glutelin, lauric and valeric acids, and starch. Moreover, nCeO 2 decreased the antioxidant properties of the rice grains (Rico et al, 2013). Our previous study (Zhao et al, 2014) also showed that ZnO NPs and CeO 2 NPs at certain doses induced sugar, starch, and protein content alterations in cucumber fruits.…”

Physiological and biochemical response of soil-grown barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to cerium oxide nanoparticles

“…Previous reports revealed differences in Ce uptake in grains. For example, medium and low amylose rice varieties stored more Ce (1912 and 1853 μg kg −1 ) than high amylose variety (224 μg kg −1 ) when exposed to nCeO 2 -H treatment (Rico et al 2013b). On the contrary, wheat grown in control to nCeO 2 -H treatments did not show significant differences in Ce accumulations in grains (155-263 μg kg −1 ) .…”

Interactions between engineered nanomaterials and agricultural crops: implications for food safety

“…It was reported that Oryza sativa grains harvested from nano CeO 2 exposed plants had lower content of Fe, S, prolamin, glutelin, lauric and valeric acids, and starch (Rico et al, 2013b). In a similar exposure setting, nano CeO 2 decreased the Mo concentration in Cucumis sativus fruit and also altered nonreducing sugars, phenolic content and fractionation of proteins .…”

“…For example, fatty acid content in Oryza sativa roots was significantly altered by nano CeO 2 treatments (Rico et al, 2013b). Plant lignin content was also reduced with increasing nano CeO 2 dosage, likely due to the fact that the balance between peroxidase activity and H 2 O 2 content has a regulatory role in lignin synthesis (Rico et al, 2013a).…”