Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Melatonin Defends Against the Oxidative Stress by Preventing the Uptake of Nanoplastics and Activating the Antioxidant System in Paeonia ostii.

Scientists found that melatonin (a natural hormone) can protect plants from tiny plastic particles by blocking them from entering plant cells and reducing harmful damage inside the plant. This matters because these microscopic plastics are spreading everywhere in our environment and getting into our food chain. While this study only looked at plants, it suggests melatonin might help protect living things from plastic pollution - though more research is needed to know if this applies to humans.

2026 PubMed
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

Phytotoxic Effects of Polystyrene and Polymethyl Methacrylate Microplastics on Allium cepa Roots

Researchers exposed onion roots to polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics at various concentrations and observed toxic effects on root growth and cellular health. Both types of microplastics caused oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disrupted cell division in the root tips. The study provides evidence that common plastic particles in soil can directly harm plant root development at the cellular level.

2023 Plants 30 citations
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

Molecular mechanisms underlying microplastics-induced inhibition of lateral root development in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Researchers investigated how PET microplastics affect tomato seedling root development and found that exposure significantly inhibited lateral root growth, reduced chlorophyll content, and impaired photosynthesis. The study revealed that microplastics triggered oxidative stress in root tips and disrupted auxin and abscisic acid hormone signaling pathways, suggesting these molecular mechanisms underlie the observed phytotoxicity.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 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

Physiological 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.

2023 Journal of Plant Physiology 21 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

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

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 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

Polyethylene microplastic modulates lettuce root exudates and induces oxidative damage under prolonged hydroponic exposure

Researchers grew lettuce in water containing polyethylene microplastics for 28 days and found that the plastics changed the chemical signals the roots released and caused oxidative damage in the leaves. While the plants looked mostly normal on the outside, the microplastics altered the root chemistry in ways that could affect nutrient uptake and plant defense. This is relevant to human health because lettuce is widely consumed and may be grown in microplastic-contaminated water or soil.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene microplastics on Brassica rapa: Toxicity mechanism investigation

Researchers exposed the fast-growing plant Brassica rapa (related to turnip and cabbage) to polyethylene microplastics that had been degraded by sunlight, finding that the plastics stunted plant growth by up to 51% and triggered cellular stress responses. Genetic analysis revealed the microplastics disrupted the plant's immune and growth pathways, providing insight into how plastic pollution in agricultural soil could affect food crops.

2024 Emerging contaminants 5 citations
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

The effect of microplastics on oxidative stress appearance and activity of antioxidant enzymes in onion (Allium cepa L.) roots

Researchers exposed onion (Allium cepa) roots to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics (PMMA-MPs) at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 g/L, measuring oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzyme activity. While root growth was largely unaffected and reactive oxygen species did not accumulate to toxic levels, antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, APX, PPX) increased at all concentrations, with PS-MPs showing stronger effects than PMMA-MPs.

2024 Repository of the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
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

Effects of micro(nano)plastics on higher plants and the rhizosphere environment

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect higher plants and the soil environment around their roots. Researchers found that these particles can be absorbed through roots and transported to other plant tissues, causing oxidative stress and disrupting photosynthesis, metabolism, and gene expression. The study highlights that plastic pollution in soil threatens not only plant health but also the broader rhizosphere ecosystem that supports agriculture.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 183 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

Microplastic stress in plants: effects on plant growth and their remediations

This review examines how microplastic contamination in soil affects plant growth through multiple pathways, including blocking water and nutrient absorption through roots, triggering harmful levels of reactive oxygen species, and disrupting hormone regulation. The effects vary depending on the type, size, and amount of microplastic present. Since plants are the foundation of our food supply, understanding how microplastics impair crop health is directly relevant to food safety and human nutrition.

2023 Frontiers in Plant Science 188 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