Alleviating the harmful effect of salinity on faba bean plants using selenium nanoparticles

Among different abiotic stress salinity is a key factor limiting the growth and productivity of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plants. In recent years, nanotechnology has been applied to mitigate the harmful effects of salt stress on various plant species. Nanoparticles are compounds with one or more dimensions between 1 and 100 nanometers and differs from their bulk material counterparts. Previous studies have shown that nanoparticles including Selenium can be applied to mitigate the harmful effects on various plant species. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) in mitigating salinity stress in faba bean. To investigate this, we exposed faba beans plants with three different salt concentrations (0 mM, 40 mM, and 80 mM of NaCl) then treated it with foliar sprays of SeNPs at three varying concentrations (0 ppm, 5 ppm, and 10 ppm). Under salinity stress the faba beans plants were observed to be significantly impaired in plant growth and photosynthetic activity. Furthermore, increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in faba beans exposed to salinity indicated significant cellular damage. However, the application of SeNPs under salinity conditions enhanced plant height and chlorophyll content compared to the control. SeNPs also boosted the activity of key antioxidant defense enzymes, including catalase (CAT), ascorbic peroxidase (APX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). In addition, they decreased MDA levels and increased proline and phenol concentrations. These findings suggest that SeNPs improved plant health and vitality by mitigating oxidative stress caused by salt. In conclusion, applying SeNPs spray effectively reduced the harmful effects of salt stress on faba bean plants.