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Volume 14
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10.3390/toxics14070589
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

The Effect of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride on Oxidative Stress and the Functioning of the Photosynthetic Apparatus in Maize Seedlings—The Modulatory Role of Exogenous Ascorbic Acid

by
Barbara Pawłowska
1,*,
Aleksandra Lechowska
1,
Radomír Ščurek
2 and
Robert Biczak
1
1
The Faculty of Science and Technology, Jan Długosz University in Czestochowa, 13/15 Armii Krajowej Av., 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland
2
Department of Security Services, Faculty of Safety Engineering, VSB—Technical University of Ostrava, Silesia, 700 30 Ostrava, Czech Republic
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Toxics 2026, 14(7), 589; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14070589
Submission received: 29 May 2026 / Revised: 29 June 2026 / Accepted: 1 July 2026 / Published: 3 July 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Biomonitoring: Using Plants to Trace Environmental Pollutants and Understand Their Physiological Responses)
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Abstract

Ionic liquids (ILs) are widely used chemical compounds that may pose potential risks to the environment. In the present study, the effects of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (EMIMCl) on growth, photosynthetic performance, and oxidative stress in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings were evaluated, and the role of exogenous L-ascorbic acid (AsA) in modulating plant responses to this stress was investigated. Plants were cultivated in soil contaminated with EMIMCl at concentrations ranging from 1 to 1000 mg·kg−1 of soil dry weight (DW) and treated with AsA at concentrations of 0.5–2 mM. EMIMCl significantly inhibited plant growth, reduced photosynthetic pigment content, and impaired chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, accompanied by increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde equivalents (MDA) levels, indicating the induction of oxidative stress. Moderate doses of AsA partially alleviated EMIMCl-induced toxicity, whereas higher AsA concentrations under severe EMIMCl contamination intensified stress symptoms. These findings demonstrate a dose-dependent and biphasic role of AsA in maize responses to EMIMCl-induced stress.
Keywords: phytotoxicity; oxidative stress; chlorophyll fluorescence; maize; 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride phytotoxicity; oxidative stress; chlorophyll fluorescence; maize; 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride
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MDPI and ACS Style

Pawłowska, B.; Lechowska, A.; Ščurek, R.; Biczak, R. The Effect of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride on Oxidative Stress and the Functioning of the Photosynthetic Apparatus in Maize Seedlings—The Modulatory Role of Exogenous Ascorbic Acid. Toxics 2026, 14, 589. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14070589

AMA Style

Pawłowska B, Lechowska A, Ščurek R, Biczak R. The Effect of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride on Oxidative Stress and the Functioning of the Photosynthetic Apparatus in Maize Seedlings—The Modulatory Role of Exogenous Ascorbic Acid. Toxics. 2026; 14(7):589. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14070589

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pawłowska, Barbara, Aleksandra Lechowska, Radomír Ščurek, and Robert Biczak. 2026. "The Effect of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride on Oxidative Stress and the Functioning of the Photosynthetic Apparatus in Maize Seedlings—The Modulatory Role of Exogenous Ascorbic Acid" Toxics 14, no. 7: 589. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14070589

APA Style

Pawłowska, B., Lechowska, A., Ščurek, R., & Biczak, R. (2026). The Effect of 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride on Oxidative Stress and the Functioning of the Photosynthetic Apparatus in Maize Seedlings—The Modulatory Role of Exogenous Ascorbic Acid. Toxics, 14(7), 589. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14070589

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