Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Melatonin reduces nanoplastic uptake, translocation, and toxicity in wheat

Researchers investigated whether melatonin could reduce the harmful effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on wheat plants. They found that melatonin application significantly decreased nanoplastic uptake by roots and their transport to shoots by regulating aquaporin gene expression and activating antioxidant defense systems. The study suggests that melatonin may serve as a protective agent to help mitigate nanoplastic toxicity in crops.

2021 Journal of Pineal Research 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles alleviates polystyrene nanoplastics induced growth inhibition by modulating carbon and nitrogen metabolism via melatonin signaling in maize

Researchers found that titanium dioxide nanoparticles can help protect maize plants from the growth-inhibiting effects of polystyrene nanoplastics. The protective mechanism works through the plant hormone melatonin, which regulates carbon and nitrogen metabolism when the nanoparticles are present. The study suggests that certain nanoparticles could potentially be used as agricultural tools to help crops cope with nanoplastic contamination in soil.

2024 Journal of Nanobiotechnology 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin counteracts polyethylene microplastics induced adreno-cortical damage in male albino rats

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics damaged the adrenal glands of male rats, disrupting cortisol production and reducing genes needed for hormone synthesis. This is the first study to specifically examine microplastic effects on the adrenal glands, which are critical for the body's stress response. The study also showed that melatonin, a natural hormone, provided significant protection against this damage, suggesting a possible way to counteract microplastic-related endocrine disruption.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin Alleviates the Damage of Polystyrene Microplastics to Porcine Oocytes by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Damage, and Regulating Autophagy and Apoptosis Levels

Researchers investigated whether the antioxidant melatonin could protect porcine oocytes from damage caused by polystyrene microplastics. The study found that microplastics at 30 micrograms per milliliter significantly impaired oocyte maturation, but melatonin treatment helped alleviate this damage by reducing oxidative stress, protecting mitochondrial function, and regulating autophagy and cell death pathways.

2025 Animals 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin mitigates polystyrene nanoplastics-induced impairment of oocyte maturation in mice

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics impair egg cell maturation in mice by causing excessive oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disrupting the structural machinery needed for proper cell division. They then tested whether melatonin could counteract these effects and found that melatonin treatment significantly alleviated the damage by restoring mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress. The study suggests that melatonin may offer a protective strategy against nanoplastic-induced reproductive harm.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin induces endoreduplication through oxidative DNA-damage triggering lateral root formation in onions

This study found that melatonin triggers lateral root formation in onions by inducing DNA damage and endoreduplication. Plant hormone research is relevant to microplastics because microplastics in soil can disrupt plant hormone signaling and root development in food crops.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exogenous Melatonin Application Alleviates Microplastics and Cadmium‐Induced Phytotoxicity in Maize ( Zea mays L.) Plants: Insights From Physiological and Metabolomic Analyses

Researchers investigated whether exogenous melatonin could alleviate the combined phytotoxicity of microplastics and cadmium in maize plants. The study found that melatonin application reduced oxidative damage and improved plant growth under co-contamination stress, suggesting that melatonin may serve as a biostimulant to help crops cope with the increasingly common co-occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soils.

2025 Journal of Pineal Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Strigolactones alleviate the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) in maize (Zea mays L.)

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin prevents the transgenerational toxicity of nanoplastics in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This zebrafish study found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused harmful effects that passed from exposed parents to their offspring, including developmental problems and oxidative stress in the next generation. The hormone melatonin was able to protect against this transgenerational damage when given alongside the nanoplastic exposure. The findings suggest that nanoplastic exposure could affect not just the people exposed but potentially their children, and that antioxidants like melatonin might offer some protection.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin-Mediated Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants

This review examines how melatonin, a molecule found in all living organisms, helps plants cope with environmental stresses like drought, extreme temperatures, salinity, and heavy metal contamination. Researchers found that melatonin works by neutralizing harmful reactive oxygen species and activating plant defense pathways. The study suggests that melatonin-based treatments could help improve crop resilience in the face of increasing environmental challenges, including soil pollution.

2022 Frontiers in Plant Science 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Melatonin Alleviates Intestinal Barrier Damaging Effects Induced by Polyethylene Microplastics in Albino Rats

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics damaged the intestinal barrier in rats by causing inflammation, reducing protective mucus, and disrupting the tight junctions between gut cells. The damage was more severe at higher doses and included changes in gut bacteria composition. The study also found that melatonin treatment helped protect against these intestinal effects, suggesting potential avenues for reducing microplastic-related gut damage.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Reclaiming multi-contaminated soil: melatonin alleviates cadmium and microplastic toxicity to restore rice growth and yield

Researchers investigated whether melatonin could mitigate the combined toxicity of cadmium and microplastics in agricultural soils to restore rice growth and yield. The study found that melatonin treatment modulated plant physiological function, reduced cadmium uptake, and improved soil properties, offering a promising approach to help crops withstand multi-contaminant stress from both heavy metals and microplastics.

2026 RSC Advances
Article Tier 2

Synergistic integration of melatonin, copper nanoparticles, and Bacillus velezensis mitigates anthracnose and microplastic stress in chili: A novel eco-friendly strategy for sustainable crop protection

Researchers combined melatonin, copper nanoparticles, and a beneficial bacterium (Bacillus velezensis) to simultaneously protect chili pepper plants from both fungal disease and microplastic stress, finding the triple treatment restored photosynthesis, hormone balance, and antioxidant defenses better than any single agent alone.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Melatonin alleviates oxidative stress damage in mouse testes induced by bisphenol A

Researchers investigated whether melatonin could alleviate oxidative stress damage caused by bisphenol A (BPA) exposure in mouse testicular tissue. The study found that melatonin treatment reduced BPA-induced oxidative damage and improved sperm quality indicators, suggesting a potential protective role against the reproductive effects of this common plastic-associated chemical.

2024 Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Revealing the Selenium-Mediated Regulatory Mechanisms of P. stratiotes in Response to Nanoplastics Stress from Multiple Perspectives of Transcriptomics, Metabolomics, and Plant Physiology

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) seriously damage water plants by disrupting their ability to make food from sunlight and causing harmful stress inside their cells. However, when researchers added selenium (a natural mineral) to the water, it helped protect the plants from plastic damage by boosting their natural defense systems. This research could help us clean up plastic pollution in lakes and rivers, which is important since these water sources can affect human health through drinking water and food chains.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the impact of nano- and microplastics on neurodegenerative diseases and strategies to mitigate their damage

Researchers reviewed evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases by triggering brain inflammation, disrupting mitochondria (the cell's power source), and damaging the blood-brain barrier. The review also found that natural compounds like melatonin and probiotics show early promise in reducing some of these harmful effects.

2025 Environmental Medicine 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Brassinosteroids alleviate nanoplastic toxicity in edible plants by activating antioxidant defense systems and suppressing nanoplastic uptake

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.

2023 Environment International 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics-induced stress in plants: uptake, physiological disruption, and toxicity mechanisms

This review paper summarizes existing research on how tiny plastic particles (called microplastics and nanoplastics) are absorbed by plants and damage their health. These plastic particles can build up in plant tissues and disrupt how plants grow and function, which matters because we eat these plants. Since plastic pollution keeps breaking down into smaller pieces that plants absorb, this could eventually affect the safety and quality of our food supply.

2026 Frontiers in Plant Science
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure induces excessive mitophagy by activating AMPK/ULK1 pathway in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells and dopaminergic neurons in vivo

Researchers found that 50-nanometer polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in brain cells and their mitochondria, causing Parkinson's disease-like damage in both lab-grown nerve cells and mice. The nanoplastics triggered excessive mitophagy, a process where the cell destroys too many of its own mitochondria, leading to energy loss and nerve cell death. Melatonin treatment helped protect against this damage, suggesting a potential preventive strategy.

2023 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoparticles Cause Sex‐Specific Toxicity in Male Zebrafish, Which Can Be Mitigated by Melatonin

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polystyrene nanoparticles for 14 days and found significant reproductive toxicity that was more pronounced in males, including reduced gonadal size and disrupted hormone signaling along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Co-treatment with melatonin largely reversed these harmful effects by protecting against oxidative damage. The study suggests that melatonin may offer a potential protective strategy against nanoplastic-induced reproductive harm.

2026 Environmental Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Flavonoids Mitigate Nanoplastic Stress in Ginkgo biloba

This plant study found that nanoplastics caused growth problems, oxidative stress, and DNA damage in Ginkgo biloba and other plant species. The plants responded by producing more flavonoids (natural protective compounds) to fight the plastic-induced stress. While this is a plant study, it shows how nanoplastics can disrupt biological systems and highlights the broad environmental reach of plastic pollution.

2024 Plant Cell & Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the possible cellular responses in plants under micro(nano)-plastic (MNPs): Balancing the structural harmony with functions.

This review summarizes current understanding of how micro- and nano-plastics affect plant physiology, covering uptake pathways, effects on cell walls and chloroplasts, and responses to oxidative stress. The findings highlight that plants are exposed to and affected by microplastics through both soil and aerial routes.

2024 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Melatonin Alleviates Antimony Toxicity by Regulating the Antioxidant Response and Reducing Antimony Accumulation in Oryza sativa L.

Researchers investigated whether melatonin, a natural antioxidant compound, could help rice plants cope with toxic antimony contamination. They found that applying melatonin reduced antimony uptake, decreased oxidative damage, and improved rice growth under antimony stress conditions. The study suggests that melatonin treatments could be a practical strategy for growing rice in soils contaminated with heavy metals.

2023 Antioxidants 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Dysregulation in Lung Tissues of Offspring Rats Exposed to Prenatal Polystyrene Microplastics: Effects of Melatonin Treatment

Researchers found that rat pups exposed to polystyrene microplastics before birth showed significant oxidative stress and metabolic disruption in their lung tissues. The prenatal exposure altered nucleic acid metabolism and amino acid profiles in the lungs of newborn pups. Encouragingly, treatment with melatonin significantly improved lung function and reduced tissue damage in the affected offspring.

2024 Antioxidants 8 citations