The most widely used nano-elicitors with this purpose are carbon nanotubes, silver,
gold, copper, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide (Anjum et al. 2019). The way to
supply NPs to plants can be carried out through foliar spray, directly in the soil or
through the nutrient solution applied. Table 5.4 summarizes some published studies
in recent years reporting the enhanced production of commercially important specialized metabolites using metallic-, metal oxide-, and carbon related-NPs.
Table 5.4 Summary of the effects of different types of nanoparticles used as elicitors of secondary
metabolites in different plant species
Plant species/
reference
Treatment
Result
Feverfew
(Tanacetum
parthenium L.)/
Shahhoseini et al.
(2020)
ZnONPs (1000 ppm) sprayed
during seedling stage growth in
soil
(") Essential oil (0.9% V/W)
with anti-cancer compounds
compared to control (0.56% V/
W)
Deadly nightshade
(Atropa belladonna
L.)/Tian et al. (2018)
Mn 2 O 3 (25 mg L
−1
) applied to
shoot tip in MS growth media
(") Alkaloids (23%)
(") TPC (12%)
(") TFC (32%)
Aloe vera (Aloe vera
L.)/Raei et al. (2014)
TiO 2 (120 mg L
−1
) in cell
suspension using MS media
(") Aloin (118%)
Ag (0.625 mg L
−1
) in cell
suspension using MS media
(") Aloin (127%)
Selfheal (Prunella
vulgaris L.)/Fazal
et al. (2019)
Ag
+ Au (1:3) supplemented to
cell suspension culture in MS
media with NAA
(") 1.8-Fold in TPC and TFC
Cucumber (Cucumis
sativus)/Zhao et al.
(2016)
Cu (20 mg L
−1
) in hydroponic
culture at early development
stages
(") TPC (2.35 mg g
−1 DW)
Salvia (Salvia
verticillata L.)/
Rahmani et al. (2020)
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes
(MWCNTs – 50 and 1000 mg
L
−1
) foliar sprayed to
2-month-old plants growth in
soil and greenhouse conditions
(") Rosmarinic acid, nearly four
times relative to the control
Bitter melon
(Momordica
charantia)/Kole et al.
(2013)
Fullerene (10.8 mM) during
seed germination using ÁB
potting mix under greenhouse
conditions
(") Anticancerous
(cucurbitacin-B, 74% and
lycopene, 82%) and antidiabetic
(charantin, 20% and insulin,
90%) compounds
Used abbreviations TPC Total phenolic content, TFC Total flavonoid content, (") increment of
5 Role of Stress and Defense in Plant Secondary Metabolites …
171
gold, copper, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide (Anjum et al. 2019). The way to
supply NPs to plants can be carried out through foliar spray, directly in the soil or
through the nutrient solution applied. Table 5.4 summarizes some published studies
in recent years reporting the enhanced production of commercially important specialized metabolites using metallic-, metal oxide-, and carbon related-NPs.
Table 5.4 Summary of the effects of different types of nanoparticles used as elicitors of secondary
metabolites in different plant species
Plant species/
reference
Treatment
Result
Feverfew
(Tanacetum
parthenium L.)/
Shahhoseini et al.
(2020)
ZnONPs (1000 ppm) sprayed
during seedling stage growth in
soil
(") Essential oil (0.9% V/W)
with anti-cancer compounds
compared to control (0.56% V/
W)
Deadly nightshade
(Atropa belladonna
L.)/Tian et al. (2018)
Mn 2 O 3 (25 mg L
−1
) applied to
shoot tip in MS growth media
(") Alkaloids (23%)
(") TPC (12%)
(") TFC (32%)
Aloe vera (Aloe vera
L.)/Raei et al. (2014)
TiO 2 (120 mg L
−1
) in cell
suspension using MS media
(") Aloin (118%)
Ag (0.625 mg L
−1
) in cell
suspension using MS media
(") Aloin (127%)
Selfheal (Prunella
vulgaris L.)/Fazal
et al. (2019)
Ag
+ Au (1:3) supplemented to
cell suspension culture in MS
media with NAA
(") 1.8-Fold in TPC and TFC
Cucumber (Cucumis
sativus)/Zhao et al.
(2016)
Cu (20 mg L
−1
) in hydroponic
culture at early development
stages
(") TPC (2.35 mg g
−1 DW)
Salvia (Salvia
verticillata L.)/
Rahmani et al. (2020)
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes
(MWCNTs – 50 and 1000 mg
L
−1
) foliar sprayed to
2-month-old plants growth in
soil and greenhouse conditions
(") Rosmarinic acid, nearly four
times relative to the control
Bitter melon
(Momordica
charantia)/Kole et al.
(2013)
Fullerene (10.8 mM) during
seed germination using ÁB
potting mix under greenhouse
conditions
(") Anticancerous
(cucurbitacin-B, 74% and
lycopene, 82%) and antidiabetic
(charantin, 20% and insulin,
90%) compounds
Used abbreviations TPC Total phenolic content, TFC Total flavonoid content, (") increment of
5 Role of Stress and Defense in Plant Secondary Metabolites …
171