Pedosphere 36(5): 1059--1072, 2026
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2026 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Silicon dioxide nanoparticles mitigate aluminum toxicity in Brassica napus via cell wall modification, reduced aluminum accumulation and enhanced antioxidant defense |
Venuste MUNYANEZA1, Wen ZHANG1, Sharjeel HAIDER1, Ayaz ALI1, Surya KANT2, Fangsen XU1, Chuang WANG1, Sheliang WANG1, Hongmei CAI1, Lei SHI1, Guangda DING1 |
1 Microelement Research Center, Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China);
2 School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora 3083 (Australia) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Acidic soils, which cover approximately 30% of the Earth's surface, are highly susceptible to aluminum (Al) toxicity, which severely limits crop productivity. Silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) have emerged as a promising solution to enhance crop resistance to abiotic stress due to their unique properties compared with conventional chemical fertilizers. One important factor in Al-induced root growth suppression is the root cell wall, which is a major site for Al accumulation, yet the mechanism by which SiO2 NPs alleviate Al toxicity in Brassica napus remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of SiO2 NPs on mitigating Al-induced root damage and growth inhibition in B. napus. The results showed that SiO2 NPs significantly alleviated Al toxicity, as evidenced by reduced root growth inhibition and decreased Al accumulation. Furthermore, SiO2 NPs reduced the Al-induced increase in cell wall polysaccharides and mitigated the adverse effects of Al on antioxidant enzymes. Because SiO2 NPs reduced oxidative damage and improved nutrient acquisition, plants grew more rapidly and performed better during photosynthetic processes. This study also identified genes (BnALS3 and BnBCB) triggered by Al toxicity and linked to the protection of plants from Al toxicity. These findings suggest that SiO2 NPs modify cell walls and decrease Al accumulation in cell wall components, all of which collectively contribute to alleviating Al-induced root growth suppression in B. napus. |
| Key Words: acid soil,Al alleviation,Al stress,antioxidant enzyme,gene expression,metal toxicity,root growth,sustainable agriculture |
| Citation: Munyaneza V, Zhang W, Haider S, Ali A, Kant S, Xu F S, Wang C, Wang S L, Cai H M, Shi L, Ding G D. 2026. Silicon dioxide nanoparticles mitigate aluminum toxicity in Brassica napus via cell wall modification, reduced aluminum accumulation and enhanced antioxidant defense. Pedosphere. 36(5): 1059-1072. |
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