Responses of Allium cepa L. exposed to silver nanoparticles

Abstract

The study was aimed to determine the gallic acid, rutin and quercetin contents and yield of Narli onion genotype (Allium cepa L.,) exposed to four different doses (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 mg L-1) of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)for30 days, after planting the onion bulbs, attwo-week intervals. Quercetin, rutinand gallic acid contents in the leaves and bulbs of onion plants were determined.While the quercetin content was the highest in 25 mg L-1ofAgNPs treatment (575.0 ± 10.39 µg g-1)in the bulb parts, gallic acid content reachedtothe highest rate in 50 mg L-1 of AgNPs(3605.8 ± 90.96µg g-1), inthe onion bulb, compared to the control (2819.3 ± 65.72µg g-1).The content of rutinwere enhanced in 25 (19.72 ± 0.28µg g-1), 50 (21.66 ± 0.57µg g-1) and 75 mg L-1(31.08 ± 0.53 µg g-1) of AgNPs treatments, but it was significantly close to the control (7.15 ± 0.93µg g-1), in100 mg L-1(10.92 ± 0.38 µg g-1), in bulb parts.Chlorophyll content showed reducesin all doses, except for25 mg L-1 of AgNPs treatment. Total yield enhanced in treatments of AgNPs, but the highest increase was obtained in treatment of 50 mg L-1 of AgNPs (97.49 ± 0.92 µg g-1). The analysis of quercetin, rutin and gallic acid contents were performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and Chlorophyll was determined by SPAD.