Application of Zinc Sulfide Nanoparticles to Augment the Nutritional Status of the Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] Plant

To investigate the effects of zinc sulfide nanoparticles (nZnS) on the nutritional status of mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek] plants, experiments were conducted with different concentrations of nZnS (control, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mg/L). Plants grown on natural soil (silt loam) were treated with the chosen concentrations of nZnS and monitored for 10 d. Afterward, the plant growth, total reducing sugar, total lipid, fatty acids profile, micronutrient contents, and nZnS phytotoxicity were determined. Results showed that nZnS treatments significantly increased root-shoot lengths and the corresponding fresh and dry weights of the treated plants over a control. Significant increases in total reducing sugar content were also found in treated plants. Interestingly, nZnS treatments had a positive effect on the production of total lipid and unsaturated fatty acids as confirmed by the changes in the fatty acid contents by a high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis. Also, nZnS treatments increased Zn, Fe, and Mn accumulations in the roots and leaves but did not change the Cu accumulation of the treated plants. Moreover, no phytotoxicity was observed in the treated plants. Hence, this study demonstrated that nZnS treatments positively altered the nutritional status of mungbean plant.