Potassium nanoparticles mitigate measured nanoplastic stress in tomato plants

Foliar application of potassium nanoparticles reduced several measured effects of nanoplastic stress in a controlled experiment on tomato plants, according to the study. Under experimental soil contamination, the treatment improved shoot length, leaf area and glucose content, lowered elevated markers of oxidative stress, and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The findings show a response under the tested laboratory conditions; they do not establish that potassium nanoparticles can protect tomato crops across other soils, exposure levels or agricultural environments.

The researchers investigated Solanum lycopersicum using a randomized complete block design with five biological replicates per treatment. They applied nanoplastics to the soil at 4 milligrams per kilogram and administered potassium nanoparticles as a foliar spray at 10 millimoles per liter, 30 days after sowing. Relative to untreated controls, nanoplastic exposure reduced root length by 68.81%, shoot dry weight by 20.53%, SPAD chlorophyll value by 70.85% and net photosynthetic rate by 46.67%.

Protein content fell by 13.82%, while calcium content declined by 41.01%. These reductions showed that the tested exposure impaired multiple dimensions of plant growth and physiology. When potassium nanoparticles were added to the nanoplastic-exposed treatment, shoot length increased by 17.25%, leaf area by 10.89% and glucose content by 18.62% compared with plants receiving nanoplastics alone.

The study also reports that the treatment restored mineral nutrient homeostasis and improved physiological and biochemical performance. The measured changes nevertheless support the reported influence of potassium nanoparticles on carbohydrate metabolism and plant performance under the experimental stress regime. Nanoplastic exposure also produced signs of oxidative injury.

Malondialdehyde, a marker associated with membrane lipid peroxidation, was 40.47% higher than in controls, while hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion levels rose by 26.87% and 42.35%, respectively. Potassium nanoparticles substantially suppressed the accumulation of these three markers and enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase. The study was limited to tomatoes, one potassium-nanoparticle concentration and one experimentally imposed nanoplastic contamination level.

Its results therefore provide a controlled proof of measured effects rather than evidence of field-scale efficacy, long-term persistence or suitability for commercial tomato production.

Subject of Research: Potassium nanoparticles, tomato physiology, carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative defense under nanoplastic stress

Article Title: Climate-resilient tomato production: potassium nanoparticles regulate carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative defense under nanoplastic stress

Article References: Bengisu, G., Atay, U., Durul, M. S., Khalofah, A., Faizan, M., & Habib, Y. (2026). Climate-resilient tomato production: potassium nanoparticles regulate carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative defense under nanoplastic stress. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62316-6

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-62316-6

Keywords: tomatoes, potassium nanoparticles, nanoplastics, plant stress, carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes, photosynthesis, soil contamination, Climate-resilient, tomato, production