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Brassinosteroids as phytohormonal shields against micro- and nanoplastic stress in plants
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Tiny plastic particles in soil can stress crops and even work their way into the food we eat, but this research review pulls together evidence that a natural plant hormone called brassinosteroid may help. In tomatoes, this hormone reduced how much nanoplastic ended up in the edible parts of the plant by blocking the tiny channels plastics use to enter, and it also helped other crops like rice grow better despite plastic contamination. This doesn't mean the hormone cleans up plastic pollution, but it's an early, promising step toward growing food that's less contaminated by plastics—though more real-world farm testing is still needed.
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are biologically active stressors in agricultural soils, where they alter soil physical structure, disrupt rhizosphere processes, impair water and nutrient acquisition, and provoke oxidative and hormonal disequilibrium in plants. Brassinosteroids (BRs), particularly brassinolide and 24-epibrassinolide, have recently emerged as modulators of plant responses to plastic-particle stress. Current evidence indicates that BRs do not detoxify plastics directly. Instead, they reorganize plant performance across interconnected layers: aquaporin-linked NP transport, antioxidant and ascorbate-glutathione metabolism, photosystem II function, hormone crosstalk, secondary metabolism, and rhizosphere feedbacks. In tomato, BRs reduced polystyrene-NP accumulation in edible tissues by suppressing aquaporin genes. In Pinellia ternata and rice, BRs attenuated MP/NP-induced growth inhibition by restoring photosynthetic efficiency and redox control. This mini review synthesizes these findings and frames BRs as eco-hormonal regulators of the plant-plastic-soil interface, while highlighting priorities for field-realistic validation.
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Brassinosteroids alleviate nanoplastic toxicity in edible plants by activating antioxidant defense systems and suppressing nanoplastic uptake
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Scientists discovered that nanoplastics accumulate in the edible parts of tomato plants, but treating the plants with a natural hormone called brassinosteroids reduced nanoplastic uptake and reversed the growth damage. The hormone works by turning off water-channel genes that nanoplastics use to enter the plant. This finding matters for food safety because it suggests a practical way to reduce the amount of nanoplastics people consume through fruits and vegetables.
Rhizosphere micro-environment restructuring by foliar 24-epibrassinolide enhances wheat resilience to polyethylene nanoplastics.
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Tiny plastic particles in soil can stunt wheat growth, which matters since wheat is a staple food crop many people rely on. Scientists found that spraying leaves with a natural plant hormone helped wheat grow stronger roots and shoots even when exposed to these nanoplastics, partly by boosting helpful soil bacteria. This points to a possible low-cost way to protect crops, and potentially our food supply, as plastic pollution keeps rising.
Role of Plant GrowthRegulators and Biological, Chemical,Nutrient, and Nanomaterial-Based Approaches in Mitigating Micro- andNanoplastic Stress in Agroecosystems
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Tiny plastic particles from pollution are building up in farm soil and can stunt crop growth, which matters because those crops end up on our plates. This review rounds up existing research on ways to fight back, showing that things like helpful soil bacteria, natural plant hormones, and nutrient treatments can help crops grow better and stay healthier even when contaminated with these plastics. While the solutions are promising, more research is still needed to turn these strategies into real-world farming practices that could ultimately mean less plastic contamination in our food supply.
Effects of Microplastic on Rice Seed Germination Mitigated by Brassinolide
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Researchers exposed rice seeds to polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics at concentrations up to 1,500 mg/L and tested whether 2,4-epibrassinolide (a plant growth hormone) could mitigate toxicity. Microparticles had minimal effect on germination, but nanoplastics significantly inhibited seedling growth at high concentrations, and brassinolide supplementation partially reversed nanoplastic-induced oxidative stress and growth inhibition.
Strigolactones alleviate the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) in maize (Zea mays L.)
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Researchers found that a natural plant hormone called strigolactone helped protect maize plants from the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics by reducing how much plastic accumulated in the roots. The hormone activated the plant's antioxidant defenses and changed the expression of genes related to stress response and hormone signaling. While focused on plants, this research matters for food safety because it could lead to agricultural practices that reduce how much microplastic contamination ends up in crops that people eat.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.