Synthesis, Antibacterial Properties, and Physiological Responses of Nano-Selenium in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress

Sun, Hongyan; Lian, Xin; Yao, Runge; Shang, Bingjie; Yi, Siyu; Yu, Jia; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Xiaoyun

doi:10.3390/agronomy15122750

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Synthesis, Antibacterial Properties, and Physiological Responses of Nano-Selenium in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress

by

Hongyan Sun

^1,*

,

Xin Lian

¹,

Runge Yao

¹,

Bingjie Shang

¹,

Siyu Yi

¹,

Jia Yu

¹,

Bo Zhang

¹ and

Xiaoyun Wang

^2,*

¹

School of Environment and Resources, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China

²

Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030045, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Agronomy 2025, 15(12), 2750; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122750 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 25 October 2025 / Revised: 19 November 2025 / Accepted: 27 November 2025 / Published: 28 November 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Regulatory Network of Crop to Environmental Stress: Genetic and Biochemical Characterization)

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Abstract

Selenium (Se) nanoparticles have emerged as a vital tool in enhancing plant resilience to multiple stress factors. So, the present study was designed to synthesize nano-Se, evaluate its antibacterial properties, and to investigate the effects of nano-Se at 2, 5, 10, and 15 μM on the growth and physiological responses of barley seedlings under Cd stress. The results showed that nano-Se with an average size of 24.71 nm exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Notably, 5 μM nano-Se reduced Cd concentrations in leaves and roots by 19.46% and 31.07%, respectively, while enhancing root length, shoot/root fresh weight (FW), and dry weight (DW) compared to Cd-stressed plants. Furthermore, exogenous nano-Se significantly increased chlorophyll, protein, amino acid content, and enhanced photosynthetic performance compared to Cd treatment alone. Nano-Se further boosted the activity of antioxidant enzymes and concurrently reduced malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), proline, total flavonoids, and total phenols levels. Moreover, nano-Se supplementation under Cd stress promoted the uptake of essential nutrient elements and increased sugar content. Our results collectively suggest that nano-Se application during Cd stress may enhance photosynthesis, promote carbohydrate metabolism, and mitigate oxidative damage, thereby improving barley growth under Cd toxicity.

Keywords: heavy metal; toxicity; nanoparticles; photosynthesis; reactive oxygen species; carbohydrate metabolism

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sun, H.; Lian, X.; Yao, R.; Shang, B.; Yi, S.; Yu, J.; Zhang, B.; Wang, X. Synthesis, Antibacterial Properties, and Physiological Responses of Nano-Selenium in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress. Agronomy 2025, 15, 2750. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122750

AMA Style

Sun H, Lian X, Yao R, Shang B, Yi S, Yu J, Zhang B, Wang X. Synthesis, Antibacterial Properties, and Physiological Responses of Nano-Selenium in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress. Agronomy. 2025; 15(12):2750. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122750

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sun, Hongyan, Xin Lian, Runge Yao, Bingjie Shang, Siyu Yi, Jia Yu, Bo Zhang, and Xiaoyun Wang. 2025. "Synthesis, Antibacterial Properties, and Physiological Responses of Nano-Selenium in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress" Agronomy 15, no. 12: 2750. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122750

APA Style

Sun, H., Lian, X., Yao, R., Shang, B., Yi, S., Yu, J., Zhang, B., & Wang, X. (2025). Synthesis, Antibacterial Properties, and Physiological Responses of Nano-Selenium in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress. Agronomy, 15(12), 2750. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15122750

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Synthesis, Antibacterial Properties, and Physiological Responses of Nano-Selenium in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Seedlings Under Cadmium Stress

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