Cerium oxide nanoparticles alleviate drought stress in apple seedlings by regulating ion homeostasis, antioxidant defense, gene expression, and phytohormone balance.

ABSTRACT: Drought stress is one of the most important environmental constraints that negatively affect the growth and production of crops worldwide. Recently, nanotechnology has been increasingly used to improve the tolerance of plants exposed to abiotic stresses such as drought. The present study was designed to investigate the moderating effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂ NPs) on alleviating drought stress for the apple cv. 'Red Delicious' on M9 rootstock. Drought stress caused a significant increase in CAT, GPX, APX, and SOD enzyme activities compared to control plants. Drought decreased the content of macro and microelements, and the application of CeO₂ NPs led to significant changes in the content of these elements in plants under drought stress. CeO₂ NP

SUBMITTER: Soleymani S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11973181 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature