Influence of GdVO4:Eu3+ nanocrystals on growth, germination, root cell viability and oxidative stress of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings
Increasing application of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals (LDNCs) entails a risk of a harmful impact on the natural environment. Therefore, in the presented study the influence of gadolinium orthovanadates doped with Eu3+ nanocrystals on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), chosen as a model plant species, was investigated. The seeds were grown in Petri dishes filled with colloids of LDNCs at the concentrations of: 0, 10, 50 and 100 {micro}g/ml. The plants growth endpoints (number of roots, roots length, roots mass, hypocotyl length and hypocotyl mass) and germination rate were found to be not significantly changed after the exposure to GdVO4:Eu3+ nanocrystals at all used concentrations. The presence of LDNCs also had no effect on oxidative stress intensity determined on the basis of the amount of lipid peroxidation product (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances; TBARS) of the roots. Similarly, TTC (tetrazolium chloride) assay did not show any differences in cells viability. However, root cells of the treated seedlings contained less amount of Evans Blue (EB) when compared to the control.