Impact assessment of engineered nanotitanium dioxide seed priming on oxidoreductase enzyme activities in seedlings of Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

A laboratory experiment was performed to study the effects of nano-TiO2 polymorphs priming on seedling growth and antioxidant enzyme activities of Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Nano-TiO2 polymorphs i.e. anatase and rutile, were synthesized by the sol-gel method using titanium tetraisopropoxide as Ti-precursor and 2-propanol as solvent. Seeds of Kidney bean were treated with nine different concentrations (in water) of each nano-TiO2 polymorphs (0, 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00 and 2.50%) by soaking in different concentrations suspension (prepared by ultrasonication method) for 24 hours. The growth of seedlings and activity antioxidant enzymes i.e. catalase and peroxidase were assessed at three weeks following paper towel method of germination. The results showed that increase in concentration of each nano-TiO2 polymorphs caused a significant increase in root and shoot length (79-97%) as well as number of lateral roots of the seedlings of kidney bean. The findings illustrated the beneficial effect of nano-TiO2 polymorphs priming on seedling growth and antioxidant enzyme activities viz. catalase (78-80%) and peroxidase (75-162%) of Kidney bean.