Nano-Oxide Materials Combat Heavy Metals Toxicity by Modulating Oxidative Stress Pathways

Heavy metals have been found to exert toxicological effects on living organisms, including plants and animals. Prior studies explored the role of metallic compounds for the induction of pathways that are associated with cardiovascular, neurological and immunological diseases. At acute and chronic doses, these heavy metals showed the ability to promote the oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways processing, which may lead to adverse health consequences such as genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in plants. Dysregulation of antioxidant enzymes activities and inhibition of growth have been documented in plants exposed to heavy metals. This indicates that the heavy metals should be considered as risky compounds once they are in contact with plants, animals and humans. Recently, it has been found that nanoparticles of certain compounds such as cerium oxide could attenuate oxidative stress induced by heavy metals in the plants. This chapter sheds light on the role of nanomaterials in regulating oxidative stress associated with heavy metals exposure in plants.