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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics affect the quality of Cucumis melo. L by regulating the jasmonic acid signaling pathway
ClearPhysiological analysis and transcriptome profiling reveals the impact of microplastic on melon (Cucumis melo L.) seed germination and seedling growth
Researchers examined how polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect melon seed germination and seedling development. They found that low to medium concentrations of microplastics significantly reduced germination rates and stunted young root growth, while also disrupting gene expression related to plant stress responses. The study provides early evidence that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may impair the growth of economically important crop plants.
Genome-Wide Identification of β-Ketoacyl CoA Synthase Gene Family in Melon (Cucumis melo L.) and Its Expression Analysis in Autotoxicity, Saline-Alkali, and Microplastic Exposure Environments
Researchers identified the gene family responsible for producing long-chain fatty acids in melon plants and studied how these genes respond to microplastic exposure and other stresses. They found that specific genes were activated or suppressed when plants encountered microplastics, saline-alkali conditions, or soil toxins from previous crops. The study provides insights into how food crops defend themselves at the genetic level against environmental contaminants including microplastics.
Can microplastics threaten plant productivity and fruit quality? Insights from Micro-Tom and Micro-PET/PVC
Researchers grew tomato plants in soil containing environmentally realistic levels of PET and PVC microplastics and found mixed effects on plant productivity and fruit quality. While some growth parameters were affected, the microplastics also altered the mineral content of the tomatoes. This study suggests that microplastics in agricultural soil could change the nutritional profile of the food we eat.
Multiomics reveals the impact of microplastics and di-n-octyl phthalate on hormone biosynthesis in cucumber
Using multiomics analysis, this study examined how polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride microplastics, and the plasticizer di-n-octyl phthalate disrupt phytohormonal signaling in agricultural plants, revealing that these contaminants interfere with hormone regulation through distinct molecular mechanisms.
Microplastics in soil differentially interfere with nutritional aspects of chilli peppers
Growing chilli peppers in soil contaminated with five different microplastic types — including PVC, PS, HDPE, LDPE, and PET — significantly reduced nutritional quality, with PVC causing the greatest losses in protein, vitamins A and B6, and fatty acids. This research demonstrates a direct pathway by which soil microplastic pollution could degrade the nutritional value of food crops, with implications for food security and human health.
Negative effects of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) microplastics on Arabidopsis and its root-associated microbiome
Researchers investigated the effects of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) biodegradable microplastics on Arabidopsis thaliana and its root-associated microbiome, finding that PBAT-MPs at tested concentrations in agricultural soil caused negative impacts on plant growth and altered the composition of root-zone microbial communities.
Microplastics alter Cr accumulation and fruit quality in Cr(VI) contaminated soil-cucumber system during the lifecycle: Insight from rhizosphere bacteria and root metabolism
Researchers studied how three types of microplastics affect chromium accumulation and fruit quality in cucumbers grown in contaminated soil across a full growing cycle. They found that polyethylene microplastics increased chromium uptake in plant tissues, while polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics decreased it, with each type altering root bacteria and plant metabolism differently. The study reveals that the type of microplastic present in agricultural soil can significantly influence how crops absorb heavy metal contaminants.
Polyethylene microplastics alter root functionality and affect strawberry plant physiology and fruit quality traits
Strawberry plants grown in soil with small polyethylene microplastics (35 micrometers) produced fruit that weighed 42% less and had lower sugar and antioxidant content. The tiny plastic particles stuck to roots and disrupted the plant's water uptake, leading to reduced photosynthesis and increased root stress. These findings raise concerns about how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect the quality and nutritional value of the food we eat.
Impacts of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Tomato Crops: A Critical Review
This review covers the impacts of microplastics and nanoplastics on tomato crops, documenting disruption at germination, root development, flowering, and fruit production stages. It also examines how these particles alter soil microbial communities and identifies priority research areas for understanding MP effects on major food crops.
Exposure to polyethylene terephthalate microplastics induces reprogramming of flavonoids metabolism and gene regulatory networks in Capsicum annuum
Researchers exposed pepper seedlings to PET microplastics and found that the particles significantly disrupted the plants' production of flavonoids, which are beneficial compounds that protect both the plant and human consumers. The microplastics altered gene activity in pathways responsible for flavonoid production, reducing the nutritional quality of the peppers. This suggests that microplastic-contaminated soil could lower the health benefits of vegetables people eat, even when the plants appear to grow normally.
A Combined Effect of Mixed Multi-Microplastic Types on Growth and Yield of Tomato
Researchers grew tomatoes in soil spiked with a mixture of polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics and found that while the plants appeared to grow normally, the nutritional quality of the fruit changed. Microplastics significantly reduced carotenoids, flavonoids, and sugars in the tomatoes while increasing protein and certain stress-related enzymes. This suggests that even when crops look healthy, microplastics in soil could subtly reduce the nutritional value of the food we eat.
Micro (nano) plastic pollution: The ecological influence on soil-plant system and human health.
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil health, plant growth, and food quality, finding that these particles accumulate in plant root systems and can reduce crop yields and alter nutritional content. Since contaminated soil and water are increasingly delivering microplastics to food crops, these findings are directly relevant to agricultural food safety.
Type-dependent effects of microplastics on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.): Focus on root exudates and metabolic reprogramming
Researchers grew tomato plants in the presence of three different types of microplastics and found that each type produced distinct effects on plant physiology, root secretions, and metabolic processes. Polystyrene had the strongest negative impact, significantly altering root exudate composition and triggering metabolic reprogramming in the plants. The study demonstrates that the type of plastic matters when assessing how microplastic pollution affects crop growth and soil chemistry.
The effects of Micro/Nano-plastics exposure on plants and their toxic mechanisms: A review from multi-omics perspectives.
A multi-omics review of micro/nanoplastic effects on plants found that plastic exposure disrupts gene expression, protein function, and metabolic pathways across multiple plant systems, with potential consequences for crop yield and agricultural food safety.
Microplastics and plant health: A comprehensive analysis of entry pathways, physiological impacts, and remediation strategies
This comprehensive review examines how microplastics enter plant systems, the physiological and biochemical impacts on plant health, and the implications for crop productivity and food safety, synthesizing evidence that MPs can reduce germination, growth, and nutritional quality in agricultural plants.
Micro/Nanoplastics in plantation agricultural products: behavior process, phytotoxicity under biotic and abiotic stresses, and controlling strategies
This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics from sources like plastic mulch and wastewater contaminate agricultural crops, harming plant growth, photosynthesis, and food quality. The findings matter for human health because these plastic particles can accumulate in the fruits and vegetables we eat, carrying toxic chemicals along with them into our diet.
The effect of sewage sludge containing microplastics on growth and fruit development of tomato plants
Sewage sludge containing microplastics was applied to soil and effects on tomato plant growth and fruit development were assessed. Microplastic exposure through sludge-amended soil altered vegetative growth and fruit maturation, suggesting that agricultural sludge application is a route by which microplastics affect food crops.
The short-term effect of microplastics in lettuce involves size- and dose-dependent coordinate shaping of root metabolome, exudation profile and rhizomicrobiome
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.
Polyethylene microplastics alter soil microbial community assembly and ecosystem multifunctionality
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations affect soil microbial communities and overall ecosystem function in a maize growing system. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics shifted microbial community composition, reduced beneficial bacteria involved in nutrient cycling, and impaired multiple soil ecosystem functions simultaneously. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can undermine the biological processes that support healthy crop growth.
Micro and nano plastics in fruits and vegetables: A review.
This review examined how microplastics contaminate fruits and vegetables through root uptake, surface adhesion, and irrigation water, covering analytical methods for detection and highlighting the role of plants as an underappreciated entry point for plastics into the human food chain.
Transcriptomic and metabolomic responses of maize under conventional and biodegradable microplastic stress
Researchers studied how both conventional and biodegradable microplastics affect maize at the molecular level, finding that both types altered plant metabolism and triggered stress responses. The microplastics changed how the plants handled energy, photosynthesis, and hormone signaling, with effects varying by plastic type. This is concerning for food safety because microplastic-contaminated soil could change the nutritional quality or safety of crops that people eat.
Mechanistic insights into the effects of micro- and nano-plastics on cherry radish physiology and organic compound distribution at the soil-root interface.
Researchers exposed cherry radish to polyethylene microplastics (2 µm) and nanoplastics (200 nm) at varying concentrations and measured effects on plant physiology and organic compound distribution at the soil-root interface. Smaller nanoplastic particles caused greater disruption to root exudate chemistry and plant metabolism than the larger microplastics, pointing to a size-dependent toxicity mechanism.
Impact of microplastics aerial deposition on rhizosphere soil ecology: the case study of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) exposed to polyethylene
Researchers investigated the impact of aerial polyethylene microsphere deposition on tomato plants at concentrations of 10, 100, and 1000 mg/L, finding that while shoot biomass was unaffected, exposure significantly altered root metabolite profiles (increasing amino acids, decreasing fatty acids and organic acids) and shifted rhizosphere bacterial and fungal community composition.
Microplastics and Their Effect in Horticultural Crops: Food Safety and Plant Stress
This review examined how microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in agricultural soils and enter the food chain through edible plants and animals, concluding that plastic contamination represents a multi-pathway food safety risk requiring coordinated regulatory and agronomic responses.