Physiology of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Plants

Since ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are extensively applied engineered nanomaterials, e.g. in cosmetics or therapeutics due to their anticancer or antimicrobial effect, their emission to the environment has grown. Although there are several examples for “green” synthesis of ZnO NPs applying various plants or plant extracts, numerous studies exhibited that plants (including crops) also can be the target of these potentially hazardous agents. The presence of ZnO NPs may have both negative or positive effects on plant growth, physiological and/or biochemical processes depending on concentration or exposure time. Here, we attempt to give an overview of the experimental data published until now about the influence of ZnO NPs on plant physiological and biochemical procedures, and morphological features as well.