The Effects of Gold Nanoparticles on Redox Status and Freezing Tolerance of Wheat Seedlings

The effects of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) on the redox status and freezing tolerance of wheat seedlings were studied. Here we show that treatment of winter wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L., var. Moskovskaya 39) with GNPs via their roots increased freezing tolerance by affecting the redox status of plants. Based on the assays with colloidal solutions of gold nanospheres (diameter 15 nm, concentrations of 5, 10, 20, and 50 μg ml−1), a GNPs concentration of 20 μg ml−1 had the most pronounced beneficial effect on the growth and survival rate (after freezing at – 3 °C for 24 h) of the seedlings. The indices of the intensity of peroxide processes, general antioxidant activity and the content of photosynthetic pigments in wheat leaves in seedlings treated with GNPs were evaluated. The possibility of GNPs to affect the redox status of plants is discussed.