Nanoparticles effects on growth and differentiation in cell culture of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Nanoparticles (NPs) effects on developmental processes like cell growth, de-differentiation, and embryogenesis were analyzed using the in vitro model system of Daucus carota L. somatic embryogenesis. Fe3O4 NPs, 6 nm diameter, were dispensed at doses ranging from 2.01 to 33.5 mg/l to carrot in vitro cultures at different times, along the stages of cell growth and embryogenic differentiation. Moreover, the mitotic index of cell cultures under treatments has been cytologically determined. The results demonstrated that Fe3O4 NPs exposure from 2.01 to 6.70 mg/l slightly affected growth, mitotic index, and de-differentiation. At the dose of 20.10 mg/l cell growth and relative mitotic index dropped dramatically, and stopped completely at 33.5 mg/l. Moreover, these higher doses, entirely blocked embryo formation when treatments were done along somatic embryogenesis induction. Therefore, this model system seems well suited to check NPs impact on developmental processes.