Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Insights into growth-affecting effect of nanomaterials: Using metabolomics and transcriptomics to reveal the molecular mechanisms of cucumber leaves upon exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs)

Researchers used advanced metabolomics and gene expression analysis to understand how polystyrene nanoplastics affect cucumber plant leaves. The study found that nanoplastic exposure altered key metabolic pathways and gene expression patterns, interfering with normal plant growth and physiology. The findings provide molecular-level evidence that airborne nanoplastics settling on crops could affect plant health and potentially food production.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological response of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) leaves to polystyrene nanoplastics pollution

Researchers exposed cucumber plants to polystyrene nanoplastics of four different sizes and found significant effects on photosynthesis, antioxidant systems, and sugar metabolism in the leaves. Smaller particles tended to reduce chlorophyll and photosynthetic activity, while larger particles triggered stronger oxidative stress responses. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination in farmland soils could impair crop growth through multiple biochemical pathways.

2020 Chemosphere 317 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and combined pollution of polystyrene and di-n-octyl phthalate on photosynthesis of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Researchers studied how different types of microplastics and a common plastic plasticizer affect photosynthesis in cucumber plants. They found that the combination of polystyrene microplastics and the plasticizer had the most severe impact, reducing chlorophyll production and damaging the photosynthetic machinery. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in agricultural soils, especially combined with chemical additives that leach from plastics, could meaningfully impair crop growth.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics during transport and redistribution in distinct plant species: A combined split-root experiment and metabolomic analysis

Researchers used a split-root system to study how polystyrene nanoplastics travel through the root-shoot-root pathway and cause toxicity in cucumber and maize seedlings. The study found that nanoplastics inhibited growth in both exposed and unexposed roots, with cucumber showing greater sensitivity than maize, and metabolomic analysis revealed distinct disruptions in plant metabolism during nanoplastic transport and redistribution.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Metabolomics revealing the response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) exposed to polystyrene microplastics

Researchers used metabolomics to investigate how polystyrene microplastics affect rice plants through both laboratory and field experiments. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced shoot biomass in a dose-dependent manner and altered antioxidant enzyme activity, suggesting that microplastics in agricultural soil can stress crops through measurable metabolic changes.

2020 Environmental Pollution 265 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on vascular plants: A cellular metabolomic and transcriptomic review

This review summarizes how microplastics and nanoplastics affect plant health at the cellular and genetic level, disrupting metabolism, nutrient uptake, and growth in vascular plants. Since contaminated crops are a pathway for microplastics to enter the human diet, understanding how plants absorb and respond to these particles is important for food safety.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic response of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) to polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics after foliar exposure

Researchers exposed lettuce plants to polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics through their leaves and found that the particles altered the plant's metabolism differently depending on particle size. This foliar exposure pathway means that microplastics and nanoplastics settling on leafy vegetables from the air can change the plant's internal chemistry. Since lettuce is widely consumed raw, these metabolic changes raise questions about how microplastic-contaminated produce might affect nutritional quality and human health.

2024 Environmental Science Nano 14 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Three Different Types of Microplastics on Cucumber Growth and Nitrogen Utilization].

Researchers conducted a greenhouse pot trial examining the effects of three different microplastic types on cucumber growth and nitrogen utilization, finding that MP presence in soil disrupts normal nitrogen uptake and plant development, with effects varying by polymer type.

2025 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics reveal the hormesis-like effects of polyethylene microplastics on Pisum sativum L

Researchers used integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics to investigate hormesis-like effects of microplastics — where low concentrations stimulate while higher concentrations inhibit biological processes. The multi-omics approach revealed complex dose-dependent molecular responses to microplastic exposure.

2024 Environmental Technology & Innovation 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in lettuce triggered by microplastics-stress

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.

2023 Environmental Pollution 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of foliar microplastic exposure on cherry radish: Photosynthesis inhibition mechanisms and multi-omics functional network analysis

Researchers studied how foliar exposure to microplastics affects cherry radish plants and found that polystyrene microplastics reduced the net photosynthetic rate by over 63 percent. The microplastics blocked stomata, reduced mineral uptake needed for chlorophyll production, and caused oxidative stress in leaves and roots. The study reveals that airborne microplastics landing on plant surfaces can significantly impair crop growth through multiple interconnected mechanisms.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi-omics reveals microplastics disrupt nitrogen assimilation in hydrophytes

Researchers used multi-omics approaches to investigate how microplastics and nanoplastics disrupt nitrogen assimilation pathways in hydrophytes, finding that plastic particle exposure impairs the nutrient removal function these aquatic plants provide in eutrophic water bodies.

2025 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Integrated physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolic analysis reveals the effects of nanoplastics exposure on tea plants

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.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

The phytotoxicity of microplastics to the photosynthetic performance and transcriptome profiling of Nicotiana tabacum seedlings

Researchers grew tobacco seedlings in soil contaminated with polyethylene microplastics and found significant damage to their photosynthetic systems, including reduced chlorophyll content and impaired light-use efficiency. Gene analysis revealed that thousands of genes were affected, with 79 key genes related to photosynthesis being suppressed. The study provides new molecular-level evidence that soil microplastic pollution can directly harm how plants convert sunlight into energy.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 95 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Negative impacts of nanoplastics on the purification function of submerged plants in constructed wetlands: Responses of oxidative stress and metabolic processes

Researchers exposed a submerged aquatic plant commonly used in constructed wetlands to polystyrene nanoplastics and measured the impacts on growth, photosynthesis, and metabolism. They found that nanoplastics were absorbed and transported throughout the plant, reducing growth by up to 73 percent and disrupting key metabolic pathways including the citric acid cycle. The study suggests that nanoplastic accumulation in wetland plants could compromise their ability to purify water.

2022 Water Research 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity effects of nanoplastics on soybean (Glycine max L.): Mechanisms and transcriptomic analysis

Researchers exposed soybean plants to polystyrene nanoplastics and observed inhibited stem and root growth, increased oxidative stress, and disrupted photosynthesis. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that nanoplastics altered the expression of genes involved in plant stress responses, hormone signaling, and metabolic pathways. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could negatively affect crop growth and yield at the molecular level.

2022 Chemosphere 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics affect rice (Oryza sativa L.) quality by interfering metabolite accumulation and energy expenditure pathways: A field study

Researchers conducted a field study examining how polystyrene microplastics affect rice grain quality at the molecular level using metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis. They found that microplastic exposure interfered with metabolite accumulation and energy pathways in the rice plants, ultimately reducing grain quality. The study provides real-world evidence that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can directly compromise the nutritional quality of a major food crop.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 193 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolomics reveals the size effect of microplastics impeding membrane synthesis in rice cells

Researchers studied how polystyrene particles of different sizes (30 nm, 200 nm, and 2 micrometers) affect rice cells, finding that larger particles caused significantly more damage. Exposure to 2-micrometer particles reduced cell viability by 66.4% and protein content by nearly half, while disrupting fatty acid biosynthesis critical for cell membrane formation. The findings suggest that microplastic particle size plays a key role in determining toxicity at the cellular level in plants.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular responses of Torreya grandis shoots to nanoplastic pollutant

Researchers used multi-omics analysis to examine how polystyrene nanoplastics affect Torreya grandis, an economically important tree species in China. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted the seedlings' metabolism and gene expression, particularly affecting pathways related to photosynthesis and stress responses. The study provides some of the first evidence that nanoplastic pollution can interfere with the molecular processes of higher terrestrial plants, not just aquatic organisms.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 63 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The distribution and impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on cucumber plants

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics of four different sizes distribute within cucumber plants and affect root growth and fruit quality. They found that smaller particles accumulated more readily throughout the plant, moving from roots to leaves and fruit, and caused greater disruption to root physiology. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils could affect both crop development and food quality.

2020 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 253 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as emerging stressors in plants: biochemical and metabolic responses

This review examines how microplastics act as environmental stressors in plants, disrupting biochemical and metabolic processes including photosynthesis, antioxidant defenses, and nutrient uptake, with effects varying by polymer type, particle size, and concentration.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Article Tier 2

Impact of nanoplastics uptake on modulation of plant metabolism and stress responses: a multi-omics perspective on remediation and tolerance mechanisms

Researchers reviewed how nanoplastics accumulate in plant tissues and disrupt metabolism, finding that these particles impair nutrient uptake, trigger reactive oxygen species overproduction, and alter gene and protein expression, while multi-omics approaches are revealing the molecular stress-response networks that plants use to tolerate or remediate nanoplastic contamination.

2026 Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants