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The combination of hyperspectral imaging, untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics highlights a coordinated stress-related biochemical reprogramming triggered by polyethylene nanoparticles in lettuce
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Researchers used advanced imaging and metabolic profiling to study how polyethylene nanoplastics affect lettuce plants grown in contaminated soil. They found that the nanoplastics triggered a coordinated stress response, altering the plant's metabolism of sugars, amino acids, and lipids even at low concentrations. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in agricultural soils could affect crop quality and plant health in ways not visible to the naked eye.
Polyethylene nanoplastics (NPs) are widely diffused in terrestrial environments, including soil ecosystems, but the stress mechanisms in plants are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two increasing concentrations of NPs (20 and 200 mg kg-1 of soil) in lettuce. To this aim, high-throughput hyperspectral imaging was combined with metabolomics, covering both primary (using NMR) and secondary metabolism (using LC-HRMS), along with lipidomics profiling (using ion-mobility-LC-HRMS) and plant performance. Hyperspectral imaging highlighted a reduced plant growth pattern. Several vegetative indexes indicated plant toxicity, with 20 mg kg-1 NPs significantly decreasing lettuce density and vegetation health (as indicated by NDVI and plant senescence reflectance indexes). Consistently, photosynthetic activity also decreased. At the biochemical level, metabolomics and lipidomics pointed out a multi-layered broad biochemical reprogramming of primary and secondary metabolism involving a decrease in sterols, sphingolipids, glycolipids, and glycerophospholipids in response to NPs. The reduction in phosphatidylinositol coincided with an accumulation of diacylglycerols (DAG), suggesting the activation of the phospholipase C lipid signaling pathway. Moreover, nanoplastic treatments down-modulated different biosynthetic pathways, particularly those involved in N-containing compounds and phenylpropanoids. Our mechanistic basis of NPs stress in plants will contribute to a better understanding of their environmental impact.
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Researchers grew lettuce in water containing polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles accumulated in root tips and leaf veins, causing water loss stress and changes in gene expression. The plants responded by activating stress defense systems and altering their metabolism, including increased production of protective compounds in root secretions. This study provides molecular-level evidence that microplastics can stress food crops and change their biology, raising questions about the safety and nutritional quality of vegetables grown in contaminated environments.
The short-term effect of microplastics in lettuce involves size- and dose-dependent coordinate shaping of root metabolome, exudation profile and rhizomicrobiome
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Researchers exposed lettuce plants to polyethylene plastic particles of four different sizes and concentrations, finding that the plastics altered root chemistry, changed what the roots released into the soil, and shifted the bacteria living around them. The effects depended strongly on particle size, with smaller particles causing different metabolic changes than larger ones. This study shows that microplastics in farm soil can change the biology of food crops from the roots up, potentially affecting both crop health and nutritional quality.
Integrated physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolic analysis reveals the effects of nanoplastics exposure on tea plants
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Researchers used physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolic analysis to assess the effects of nano/microplastics on tea plants, finding impaired photosynthesis, oxidative stress, and disrupted metabolic pathways at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study highlights risks to tea crop safety and quality from plastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Toxic effects and mechanisms of engineered nanoparticles and nanoplastics on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)
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Researchers compared the effects of engineered nanoparticles and polystyrene nanoplastics on lettuce and found that all types caused oxidative stress in roots at high concentrations. Each nanoparticle type triggered different defensive metabolic pathways in the plants, and nanoplastics specifically altered amino acid and vitamin metabolism. Since lettuce is widely consumed raw, these findings raise questions about how nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect the safety of leafy vegetables.
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When lettuce was grown with both nanoplastics and the toxic metal cadmium, the plants absorbed 61-67% more of both contaminants compared to exposure to either one alone. The combined pollution triggered a stronger stress response in the plants and changed how they grew. This is concerning for human health because it means nanoplastics in agricultural soil could significantly increase the amount of toxic heavy metals that end up in salad greens and other food crops.
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