Magnetic field and silver nanoparticles induced changes on phenolic compound and oxidative status of marigold seedlings

Abstract

Effect of magnetic fields (MFs) and silver nanoparticles (SNPs) on a biological organism vary depending on their system and applied materials, time and intensity. In recent years, many studies have been conducted on the sensitivity of living organisms to MFs and NPs. For this purpose, an experiment was carried out in 2016 to study the effects of MF and SNPs on marigold (<em>Calendula officinalis</em> L.) using randomized complete block design with four treatments and three replications. The treatments were as follows: control, MF with B=3 mT for an hour per day, SNPs (50 ppm) and combination of MF (B=3 mT) and SNPs (50 ppm). Results showed that phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, polyphenoloxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase and glutathione reductase activity were significantly increased by the application of MFs and SNPs as compared to the control group. It seems that the MF+SNPs treatment had the best effect on the antioxidant status of <em>C. officinalis</em> L. and may be suitable alternative for chemical compounds used in agriculture.