Impact of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles on Beneficial Soil Microorganisms and their Secondary Metabolites

Abstract

-In this study, the effect of ZnO and TiO 2 -NPs on beneficial soil microorganisms and their secondary metabolites production was investigated. The antibacterial potential of NPs were determined by growth kinetics of P. aeruginosa, P. fluorescens and B. amyloliquefaciens. Significantly decreased in the cell viability based on optical density measurements were observed upon treatment with increasing concentrations of NPs. While comparing the effect of the different concentrations of the NPs (200 µg/ml) on IAA production by different bacterial strains, ZnO nanoparticles showed greater inhibitory effect than TiO 2 -NPs on IAA production by bacterial strains. The effect of Nanoparticles on phosphate solubilization was found inhibitory at 200 µg/ml. Treatment with ZnO showed concentration dependent enhancement in siderophore production by bacteriaby exposure to ZnO-NPs whereas TiO 2 -NPs showed concentration dependent progressive decline for iron binding siderophore molecules. Reduction in antibiotic production by P. aeruginosa and P. fluorescens was noticed in the presence of ZnO and TiO 2 as compared to the control. The fluorescence of NADH released by P. aeruginosa was observed to be quenched in presence of ZnO and TiO 2 -NPs as compared to control. The present study highlights that the impact of nanoparticles on bacterial strains and the release of plant growth promoting substances by PGPR strains was dose dependent, which gives an idea about the level of toxicity of these nanoparticles in the environment. Therefore, the discharge of nanoparticles in the environment should be carefully monitored so that the loss of both structure and functions of agronomically important microbes could be protected from the toxicity of MO-NPs.