ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Pathogen Interactions
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1560126
This article is part of the Research TopicOmics Applications for Pathogen Control and Disease ResistanceView all 8 articles
Nanoparticles Boost Pomegranate Growth and Defense, Suppressing Root-Knot Nematodes
Provisionally accepted
- 1Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science,, The New Valley University, Kharga El Wadi El Gadid, Egypt
- 2Plant Pathology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
- 3Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, Asyut, Egypt
- 4Pomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Asyut, Egypt
- 5Plant pathology Department, Higher instituate for Agriculture cooperation and Extension, Assiut University, Assiut, Asyut, Egypt
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Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are a major threat to pomegranate cultivation. Nanoparticles (NPs) present a possible substitute nematicide that lessens dependency on potentially dangerous chemical nematicides. This study assessed the efficacy of copper oxide (CuO) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) NPs to promote pomegranate (Punica granatum L. cultivar Hegazy) growth and provide protection against the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica). Treatments with NPs successfully reduced the number of pomegranate root egg masses, galls, and juvenile nematodes in soil. NP treatments exhibited increased side branching, leaf area, levels of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids), total antioxidants, thiol compounds [glutathione (GSH), non-protein thiols (NPTs), protein thiols (PTs)], and flavonoids. However, NP treatments reduced the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline, stress markers, in pomegranate plants infected with nematodes. NP treatments did not affect the production of phenolic compounds in pomegranates. These results indicate that the NP effect partially depends on the increased production of photosynthetic pigments, thiol compounds, and flavonoids. These results elucidate how nanoparticles control nematode infection. Further research in this area is necessary to determine whether NPs are the best treatment for nematode infections.
Keywords: CuO nanoparticles, Fe2O3 nanoparticles, Meloidogyne javanica, pomegranate, PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS, Non-enzymatic antioxidants
Received: 13 Jan 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Abde Wahab, El-Zawahry, Hamada, Abdel-Salam and Samy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Dalia Abde Wahab, Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science,, The New Valley University, Kharga El Wadi El Gadid, Egypt
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