The role of silver nanoparticles effects in the homeostasis of metals in soybean cultivation through qualitative and quantitative laser ablation bioimaging

Nanostructures are currently found in the world in forms such as natural colloids, volcanic ash, ocean spray, among others [1]. After the proposal of the nanotechnology as a scientific area [2], nanoparticles, which are defined as ultrafine particles exhibiting at least one structural dimension < 100 nm, are currently manufactured in the industry, produced at large scale, and are commercially available [3], [4], [5]. With the advance of nanoparticles inside the context of Agriculture [6], new opportunities are opening-up, such as improved productivity, crop enhancement, and soil improvement, but some challenges are also emphasized, such as the lack of toxicological evidence, risk assessment, and regulations [7].

In fact, the literature presents examples inside both contexts, with positive answers in different cultures, such as Zn nanoparticles (NPs) as fertilizers, AgNPs as a fungicide and antibacterial, FeNPs for remediation of the contamination of soils and groundwater, or SiO2-NPs for improving development and overall plant growth [8], or the NPs showing toxic effects [9], [10].

Since nanoparticles are similar in size to subcellular structures, their incorporations into biological systems are prone [11], making important to evaluate the development of a plant culture in the presence of nanoparticles. For example, in Brazil, soybeans presented a production of more than 135.4 M tons in the 2020/2021 harvest, and more than 25.7 M hectares were devoted to its cultivation [12], being easy to rationalize their presence in the soil and water.

In this way, the use of elemental imaging techniques seems to be an excellent alternative to better understand the positive or negative effects of nanoparticles in the development of soybean cultures. Although there is diversity in these imaging techniques [13], the laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) imaging is considered one of the most versatile because it allows multi-elemental and isotopic ratio analyses in solid samples. Additionally, minimal sample preparation, high spatial resolution (5–250 µm laser beam), and high sensitivity (at ng g−1 levels) from ICP-MS can be pointed out, allowing qualitative and quantitative analysis when an adequate calibration strategy is applied [14], [15], [16], [17].

Then, in order to evaluate the effects of nanoparticles in soybean cultures, the laser ablation ICP-MS technique in the imaging mode is proposed, not only for elemental mapping distribution/quantification of some elements in the soybean cultured with silver nanoparticles or silver nitrate but also for evaluating the homeostasis of some mineral nutrients under different cultivation conditions. The irrigation with a silver nitrate solution was a strategy for a comparative purpose, once it could show differences between ionic silver and silver nanoparticle effects. LA-iMageS [18] and MATLAB [19] software were used for creating the quantitative images.

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