Plant Soil Environ., 2025, 71(8):553-564 | DOI: 10.17221/233/2025-PSE

Nano-silica modulates salt stress response in lettuce by enhancing growth, antioxidant activity, and mineral uptakeOriginal Paper

Ozlem Cakmakci ORCID...1, Suat Sensoy ORCID...1
1 Department of Horticulture, Agriculture Faculty, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Türkiye

Salt stress is a significant abiotic factor that limits crop growth and yield. Nano-fertilisers, effective even in small quantities, have gained prominence for their ability to enhance plant growth and stress tolerance. This study investigated the effects of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) at different concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/L solution) under varying saline water application levels (0.6, 1.2, 2.4, and 3.6 dS/m) on growth parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, and nutrient uptake in lettuce. The greenhouse experiment followed a randomised complete block design with three replications. Results demonstrated that SiNPs effectively increased head diameter and plant height by approximately 8% and 14%, respectively, compared to the control. Similarly, dry matter content improved by 22% with SiNP-400. While salinity stress significantly increased electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation (as indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) content), SiNPs reduced MDA levels by 21%, indicating lower oxidative damage. Soil-plant analysis development (SPAD) values improved by 6%, and leaf relative water content increased by 4% with the application of SiNPs. Enzyme activity analysis revealed that salinity stress enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, but SiNP-400 reduced SOD and CAT levels by 23% and 50%, respectively, suggesting a decrease in oxidative stress. Furthermore, SiNPs enhanced nutrient uptake, significantly increasing the contents of Mg, Fe, and Zn while reducing Na accumulation. The highest Mg, Zn, and K concentrations were recorded under the SiNP-400 treatment. These findings highlight the potential of silica nanoparticles in mitigating the effects of salt stress and improving plant resilience, highlighting their role in sustainable agriculture.

Keywords: abitic stress; Lactuca sativa L.; plant nutrients; stress condition; vegetable

Received: May 29, 2025; Revised: July 18, 2025; Accepted: July 22, 2025; Prepublished online: August 14, 2025; Published: August 28, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Cakmakci O, Sensoy S. Nano-silica modulates salt stress response in lettuce by enhancing growth, antioxidant activity, and mineral uptake. Plant Soil Environ. 2025;71(8):553-564. doi: 10.17221/233/2025-PSE.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Abdel-Aziz H.M., Hasaneen M.N., Omer A.M. (2016): Nano chitosan-NPK fertilizer enhances the growth and productivity of wheat plants grown in sandy soil. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 14: e0902. Go to original source...
    2. Abdeldym E.A., El-Mogy M.M., Abdellateaf H.R.L., Atia M.A.M. (2020): Genetic characterisation, agro-morphological and physiological evaluation of grafted tomato under salinity stress conditions. Agronomy, 10: 1948. Go to original source...
    3. Abd-Elzaher M.A., El-Desoky M.A., Khalil F.A., Eissa M.A., Amin A.E.E.A. (2024): Exogenously applied proline with silicon and zinc nanoparticles to mitigate salt stress in wheat plants grown on saline soil. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 48: 1-18. Go to original source...
    4. Abdul Qados A.M.S., Moftah A.E. (2015): Influence of silicon and nano-silicon on germination, growth and yield of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) under salt stress conditions. American Journal of Experimental Agriculture, 5: 509-524. Go to original source...
    5. Alsaeedi A.H., El-Ramady T., Alshaal M., El-Garawani Al-Otaibi A., Elhawat N. (2018): Exogenous nanosilica improves germination and growth of cucumber by maintaining K+/Na+ ratio under elevated Na+ stress. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 125: 164-171. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Alsaeedi A., El-Ramady H., Alshaal T., El-Garawany M., Elhawat N., Al-Otaibi A. (2019): Silica nanoparticles boost growth and productivity of cucumber under water deficit and salinity stresses by balancing nutrients uptake. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 139: 1-10. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Aqaei P., Weisany W., Diyanat M., Razmi J., Struik P.C. (2020): Response of maize (Zea mays L.) to potassium nano-silica application under drought stress. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 43: 1205-1216. Go to original source...
    8. Arif Y., Singh P., Siddiqui H., Bajguz A., Hayat S. (2020): Salinity induced physiological and biochemical changes in plants: an omic approach towards salt stress tolerance. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 156: 64-77. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    9. Cakmak I., Marschner H. (1992): Magnesium deficiency and high light intensity enhance activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase in bean leaves. Plant Physiology, 98: 1222-1227. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    10. Cakmakci T., Cakmakci O., Sahin U. (2022a): The effect of biochar amendment on physiological and biochemical properties and nutrient content of lettuce in saline water irrigation conditions. Turkish Journal of Agriculture-Food Science and Technology, 10: 2560-2570. Go to original source...
    11. Cakmakci Ö., Çakmakci T., ªensoy S. (2022b): Effects of silver nanoparticles on growth parameters of radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. radicula) grown under deficit irrigation. Current Trends in Natural Sciences, 11: 37-44. Go to original source...
    12. Campos F.V., Oliveira J.A., Pereira M.G., Farnese F.S. (2019): Nitric oxide and phytohormone interactions in the response of Lactuca sativa to salinity stress. Planta, 250: 1475-1489. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    13. Chaichi M.R., Keshavarz-Afshar R., Lu B., Rostamza M. (2017): Growth and nutrient uptake of tomato in response to application of saline water, biological fertilizer, and surfactant. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 40: 457-466. Go to original source...
    14. Chhipa H. (2017): Nanofertilizers and nanopesticides for agriculture. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 459: 15-22. Go to original source...
    15. Duncan D.B. (1955): Multiple range and multiple F test. Biometrics, 11: 1-42. Go to original source...
    16. El-Kinany R.G., Ahmed M.A., Shan Q., Sun D., Alzoheiry A.M., Swedan E.A. (2025): Effect of nano silicon particles spraying on carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) plants grown in soilless culture and irrigated with saline water. Plant Production Science, 28: 1-13. Go to original source...
    17. El-Naggar M.E., Abdelsalam N.R., Fouda M.M., Mackled M.I., Al-Jaddadi M.A., Ali H.M., Kandil E.E. (2020): Soil application of nano silica on maize yield and its insecticidal activity against some stored insects after the post-harvest. Nanomaterials, 10: 739. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. Fakhrfeshan M., Shahriari-Ahmadi F., Niazi A., Moshtaghi N., Zare-Mehrjerdi M. (2015): The effect of salinity stress on Na+, K+ concentration, Na+/K+ ratio, electrolyte leakage and HKT expression profile in roots of Aeluropus littoralis. Journal of Plant Molecular Breeding, 3: 1-10.
    19. Fan N., Zhao C., Yue L., Ji H., Wang X., Xiao Z., Wang Z. (2022): Nanosilicon alters oxidative stress and defence reactions in plants: a meta-analysis, mechanism and perspective. Environmental Science: Nano, 9: 3742-3755. Go to original source...
    20. Farhangi-Abriz S., Torabian S. (2018): Nano-silicon alters antioxidant activities of soybean seedlings under salt toxicity. Protoplasma, 255: 953-962. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. Gruda N.S., Dong J., Li X. (2024): From salinity to nutrient-rich vegetables: strategies for quality enhancement in protected cultivation. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 43: 327-347. Go to original source...
    22. Gupta B., Huang B. (2014): Mechanism of salinity tolerance in plants: physiological, biochemical, and molecular characterization. International Journal of Genomics, 2014: 701596. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    23. Haghighi M., Pessarakli M. (2013): Influence of silicon and nano-silicon on salinity tolerance of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at early growth stage. Scientia Horticulturae, 161: 111-117. Go to original source...
    24. Hanafy A.A.H., Harb E.M., Higazy M.A., Morgan S.H. (2008): Effect of silicon and boron foliar applications on wheat plants grown under saline soil conditions. International Journal of Agricultural Research, 3: 1-26. Go to original source...
    25. Heath R.L., Packer L. (1968): Photoperoxidation in isolated chloroplasts: I. Kinetics and stoichiometry of fatty acid peroxidation. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 125: 189-198. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Hu Y., Schmidhalter U. (2005): Drought and salinity: a comparison of their effects on mineral nutrition of plants. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 168: 541-549. Go to original source...
    27. Ismail L.M., Soliman M.I., Abd El-Aziz M.H., Abdel-Aziz H.M. (2022): Impact of silica ions and nano silica on growth and productivity of pea plants under salinity stress. Plants, 11: 494. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    28. Jebara S., Drevon J.J., Jebara M. (2010): Modulation of symbiotic efficiency and nodular antioxidant enzyme activities in two Phaseolus vulgaris genotypes under salinity. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 32: 925-932. Go to original source...
    29. Kacar B., Inal A. (2010): Plant Analysis. Ankara, Nobel Publication Distribution.
    30. Kah M., Kookana R.S., Gogos A., Bucheli T.D.A. (2018): Critical evaluation of nanopesticides and nanofertilizers against their conventional analogues. Nature Nanotechnology, 13: 677. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    31. Kalisz A., Korna¶ A., Skoczowski A., Oliwa J., Jurkow R., Gil J., Caruso G. (2023): Leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and reflectance of oakleaf lettuce exposed to metal and metal (oid) oxide nanoparticles. BMC Plant Biology, 23: 329. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    32. Kilic H.K., Cakmakci T., Sensoy S. (2025): The application of nanoparticles on the physiological, morphological, enzyme activities, and nutrient uptake of lettuce under different irrigation regimes. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1-25. doi.org/10.1007/s10668-025-06120-8 Go to original source...
    33. Kim M.J., Moon Y., Tou J.C., Mou B., Waterland N.L. (2016): Nutritional value, bioactive compounds and health benefits of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 49: 19-34. Go to original source...
    34. Kim D.Y., Kadam A., Shinde S., Saratale R.G., Patra J., Ghodake G. (2018): Recent developments in nanotechnology transforming the agricultural sector: a transition replete with opportunities. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 98: 849-864. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    35. Liang Y.C. (1999): Effects of silicon on enzyme activity and sodium, potassium and calcium concentration in barley under salt stress. Plant and Soil, 209: 217-224. Go to original source...
    36. Liang Y., Liu H., Zhang Y., Li P., Fu Y., Li S., Gao Y. (2024): Exogenous application of silica nanoparticles mitigates combined salt and low-temperature stress in cotton seedlings by improving the K+/Na+ ratio and antioxidant defense. Plant Stress, 14: 100597. Go to original source...
    37. Maathuis F.J., Amtmann A. (1999): K+ nutrition and Na+ toxicity: the basis of cellular K+/Na+ ratios. Annals of Botany, 84: 123-133. Go to original source...
    38. Mathur P., Roy S. (2020): Nanosilica facilitates silica uptake, growth and stress tolerance in plants. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 157: 114-127. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    39. Mattson N.S., Leatherwood W.R. (2015): Potassium silicate drenches increase leaf silicon content and affect morphological traits of several floriculture crops grown in a peat-based substrate. HortScience, 45: 43-47. Go to original source...
    40. Maxwell K., Johnson G.N. (2000): Chlorophyll fluorescence: a practical guide. Journal of Experimental Botany, 51: 659-668. Go to original source...
    41. Monetti E., Kadono T., Tran D., Azzarello E., Arbelet-Bonnin D., Biligui B., Briand J., Kawano T., Mancuso S., Bouteau F. (2014): Deciphering early events involved in hyperosmotic stress-induced programmed cell death in tobacco BY-2 cells. Journal of Experimental Botany, 65: 1361-1375. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    42. Nakano Y., Asada K. (1981): Hydrogen peroxide is scavenged by ascorbate-specific peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts. Plant and Cell Physiology, 22: 867-880. Go to original source...
    43. Ors S., Ekinci M., Yildirim E., Sahin U., Turan M., Dursun A. (2021): Interactive effects of salt and drought stress on photosynthetic characteristics and physiology of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) seedlings. South African Journal of Botany, 137: 335-339. Go to original source...
    44. Rajput V.D., Harish Singh R.K., Verma K.K., Sharma L., Quiroz-Figueroa F.R., Mandzhieva S. (2021): Recent developments in enzymatic antioxidant defence mechanism in plants with special reference to abiotic stress. Biology, 10: 267. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    45. Raliya R., Saharan V., Dimkpa C., Biswas P. (2017): Nanofertilizer for precision and sustainable agriculture: current state and future perspectives. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 66: 6487-6503. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    46. Rolón-Cárdenas G.A., Rodríguez-González V. (2025): Physiological response of tomato plants grown in saline and non-saline soils to foliar application of SiO2/TiO2 nanocomposites. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 65: 103536. Go to original source...
    47. Sayed E.G., Mahmoud A.W.M., El-Mogy M.M., Ali M.A., Fahmy M.A., Tawfic G.A. (2022): The effective role of nano-silicon application in improving the productivity and quality of grafted tomato grown under salinity stress. Horticulturae, 8: 293. Go to original source...
    48. Shelden M.C., Munns R. (2023): Crop root system plasticity for improved yields in saline soils. Frontiers in Plant Science, 14: 1120583. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    49. Shi Q., Bao Z., Zhu Z., Ying Q., Qian Q. (2006): Effects of different treatments of salicylic acid on heat tolerance, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzyme activity in seedlings of Cucumis sativa L. Plant Growth Regulation, 48: 127-135. Go to original source...
    50. Singh H., Kumar P., Kumar A., Kyriacou M.C., Colla G., Rouphael Y. (2020): Grafting tomato as a tool to improve salt tolerance. Agronomy, 10: 263. Go to original source...
    51. Swapnil P., Yadav A.K., Srivastav S., Sharma N.K., Srikrishna S., Rai A.K. (2017): Biphasic ROS accumulation and programmed cell death in a cyanobacterium exposed to salinity (NaCl and Na2SO4). Algal Research, 23: 88-95. Go to original source...
    52. Tondey M., Kalia A., Singh A., Dheri G.S., Taggar M.S., Nepovimova E., Kuca K. (2021): Seed priming and coating by nano-scale zinc oxide particles improved vegetative growth, yield and quality of fodder maize (Zea mays). Agronomy, 11: 729. Go to original source...
    53. Usman M., Farooq M., Wakeel A., Nawaz A., Cheema S.A., ur Rehman H., Sanaullah M. (2020): Nanotechnology in agriculture: current status, challenges and future opportunities. Science of the Total Environment, 721: 137778. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    54. Zaman M., Shahid S.A., Heng L. (2018): Guideline for Salinity Assessment, Mitigation and Adaptation Using Nuclear and Related Techniques. Cham, Springer, 164. ISBN: 978-3-319-96189-7 Go to original source...
    55. Zhang H.H., Xu N., Wu X., Wang J., Ma S., Li X., Sun G. (2018): Effects of four types of sodium salt stress on plant growth and photosynthetic apparatus in sorghum leaves. Journal of Plant Interactions, 13: 506-513. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content