Role of silver nanoparticles and Bacillus cereus in modulating growth, photosynthetic activity, and antioxidant responses in sorghum under cobalt stress.
Abeed AHA, Alshehri D, Melebari DM, Quronfulah AS, Abdelaal M
Phytoremediation
Soils near old battery factories, mining sites, and industrial zones quietly accumulate cobalt — and the food crops grown there absorb it, but these microbial and nanoparticle treatments offer a practical, soil-applied remedy that doesn't require tearing up contaminated land.
When sorghum plants were grown in soil poisoned with cobalt — a metal that builds up near industrial sites — they struggled to grow, couldn't photosynthesize well, and were flooded with harmful molecules. Adding a helpful soil bacterium and tiny silver particles to the soil acted like a shield: the plants bounced back, grew better, and their natural defense systems recovered. This points toward a real-world tool for cleaning up contaminated farmland without harsh chemicals.
Key Findings
Cobalt stress at 15–25 mg/kg soil significantly reduced sorghum plant growth, biomass, and photosynthesis, while increasing oxidative damage markers MDA and H2O2.
Application of Bacillus cereus (10–20 µL) significantly improved plant growth, gas exchange, and antioxidant enzyme activity while reducing cobalt-induced oxidative stress.
Combined treatment of B. cereus and silver nanoparticles (25–40 mg/L) decreased excess proline accumulation and improved overall plant composition under cobalt stress.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers found that combining beneficial bacteria (Bacillus cereus) and silver nanoparticles significantly reduced the damage cobalt metal pollution causes to sorghum crops, restoring plant growth and stress defenses even in heavily contaminated soil.
Abstract Preview
In the current industrial scenario, cobalt (Co) as a metal is of great importance but poses a major threat to the ecosystem because of its toxicity, but fewer studies have been conducted on its eff...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Chloroplast Genome Editing Eliminates Gluten Immunogenicity in Triticum aestivum
It could mean that people with celiac disease — roughly 1 in 100 worldwide — may one day safely eat bread made from real wheat, without sacrificing the taste...
Sorghum bicolor, commonly called sorghum and also known as broomcorn, great millet, Indian millet, Guinea corn, jowar, or milo, is a species in the grass genus Sorghum. It is typically an annual, but some cultivars are perennial. It grows in clumps that may reach over 4 metres (13 ft) high. The g...