Copper Oxide Nanoparticles and Bulk Particles Stress Induced Cytological and Physiological Responses of Vicia Faba L.

CuO nanoparticles (NPs) and their bulk counter parts are being utilized in various industrial preparations. The progressive increase in the use of CuO NPs and bulk particles (BPs) eventually ends up in the environment, causing potential hazard to biota and imbalance in the abiotic components. In order to elucidate the toxic impact of CuO NPs and BPs, plant seedlings of Vicia faba var. Pusa Sumit were exposed to 20-100 mg L⁻ 1 of CuO NPs and BPs along with a control set up. Root tips and leaf tissues of plant seedlings were used to perform genotoxic and biochemical assays, respectively. Cytological preparations were used to screen mitotic indices (MI), micronuclei and chromosomal abnormalities (CAs). CuO NPs treatment led to 24.1 % reduction in MI and 7.9 % increase in CAs while BPs treatment reduced MI by 12.7 % and raised CAs by 4.3 % only. Bio-uptake of CuO NPs and BPs in the plant tissues is the key cause of oxidative stress. It triggered significant changes in lipid peroxidation and other biochemical parameters including enzymatic (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione s-transferase and glutathione reductase) and non-enzymatic (photosynthetic pigments and proline content) components of antioxidant system in treated plant seedlings. In this study, CuO NPs caused 49.1 % to 96.7 % enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes as compared to BPs. These findings revealed that CuO NPs were more toxic to plants than their counter BPs.