Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
MgO-NPs modulated antioxidant defense responses and regulated morphological traits of UV-stressed radish
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Research Articles | Published: 26 September, 2026
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Keywords: Ultraviolet, Stress, Regulation, Carbohydrates, Mitigation, Antioxidant
Abstract
Ozone layer depletion has significantly increased the penetration of UV rays into Earth’s atmosphere. It is thus paramount to understand the abiotic stress induced by UV radiation on living organisms, including plants. UV radiation-induced stress can significantly alter the morphological and biochemical traits of plants. In the present study, radish seeds were exposed to a wavelength of 320 nm, which is an indicative of both UV-A and UV-B. A 47% increase in stem length of radish upon UV radiation exposure, likely due to a significant reduction of 40–50% in the level of photosynthetic pigments, was observed. Moreover, the antioxidant parameters were considerably altered on UV exposure in radish, which significantly enhanced their oxidative stress. Further, we have evaluated the potential of clove extract-mediated synthesized MgO-NPs for UV radiation-induced stress alleviation in radish. The MgO-NPs nanoprimed radish showed an enhancement of 35% in the total chlorophyll accumulation of UV-stressed radish, which increased the content of biomass, carbohydrates, and protein by 9, 15, and 60% in NP-UV-treated radish. Further, the phenolics and flavonoids levels were increased by 12 and 20%, while an enhancement of 6, 30, 11% was noticed in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase on MgO-NPs treatment of UV-exposed radish. The enhanced antioxidant parameters of MgO-NPs primed NP-UV radish evidently decreased the oxidative stress indicators, MDA level by 7%, and H2O2 content by 18%. Therefore, MgO-NPs potentially alleviated UV-A/B stress in radish. Further, this study opens the scope for a detailed study of UV exposure in various other plant types, so that the UV-mediated stress can be significantly targeted for ensuring agricultural sustainability.
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Author Information
Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Lab, Department of Biotechnology, DAV University, Jalandhar, India