PlastImpactResearchProject

O1. Morphological evaluation of Stevia rebaudiana plants grown in vitro for 30 days after exposure to different NPs concentrations (10, 50, 100 and 250 mg/l)

Results: Exposure of S. rebaudiana plantlets to PSNPs resulted in significant inhibition of plant growth. While the 10 mg/L dose did not significantly affect the plantlets in terms of root, shoot length, and fresh weight (FW) biomass, statistically significant differences were observed for 100 and 250 mg/L doses, where the root was completely missing, and the shoot length and FW biomass decreased to 0.43 and 0.47 compared to controls for the highest dose.

O2. Detection of NPs in root, shoot and leaves by Raman and fluorescence based imaging. Evaluation of NPs toxicity after exposure to different NPs concentrations (0-250 mg/l) of Stevia rebaudiana grown in vitro for 30 days.

Results: In this study, were investigated the effect of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs; 28.65 nm average diameter) exposure (10, 100 and 250 mg/L) on plant morphology and production of relevant metabolites (steviol glycosides, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and vitamins) of in vitro-grown Stevia rebaudiana plantlets. Additionally, we used dark field microscopy combined with fluorescence hyperspectral imaging for the visualization of internalized PSNPs inside plant tissues. At higher concentrations (>100 mg/L), PSNPs were shown to aggregate in roots and to be transported to leaves, having a significantly negative impact on plant growth (reduced size and biomass), while increasing the production of metabolites compared to controls, most probably because of response to stress. The production of steviol glycosides presented a biphasic dose-response suggestive of hormesis, with the highest values at 10 mg/L PSNPs (1.5–2.2-fold increase compared to controls), followed by a decline in production at higher concentrations (100 and 250 mg/L), but with values comparable to controls. These results are promising for future in vivo studies evaluating the effect of NP exposure on the production of steviol glycosides, the natural sweeteners from stevia.

O3.Evaluation of NP toxicity on Stevia rebaudiana plants cultivated in vitro for 30 days after exposure to different analyte concentrations (0–250 mg/L).

Results: This study evaluated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs; 28.65 nm average diameter) at concentrations of 10, 100, and 250 mg/L on the metabolism and stress response of Stevia rebaudiana plants grown in vitro. Key analyses focused on chlorophylls, carotenoids, vitamins (ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid), and oxidative stress markers (MDA). HPLC revealed significant increases in chlorophyll (up to 1.7-fold for chl a and 1.8-fold for chl b) and carotenoid levels (1.8–1.9-fold at 100 mg/L) compared to controls, with slight decreases at 250 mg/L. Vitamins showed similar trends, with ascorbic acid reaching a 2.5-fold increase at 250 mg/L, likely as a stress adaptation mechanism.

Using UV-Vis spectroscopy, MDA accumulation indicated severe oxidative damage in roots at 170 mg/L PSNPs, correlating with reduced plant growth and biomass, particularly at higher concentrations. The biphasic dose-response observed in pigment and metabolite production suggests potential hormetic effects, with stimulation at lower concentrations (10–100 mg/L) and stress inhibition at higher levels.

These findings provide insights into plant stress physiology and highlight the potential for enhanced production of bioactive compounds in Stevia under controlled NP exposure. Future studies are needed to explore in vivo implications and optimize the use of nanoplastics for biotechnological applications.

O4. Data Management and Results Dissemination

Article published / submitted for publication

Leopold Loredana Florina, Coman Cristina, Deac Florina, Coman Vasile, Clapa Doina, Leopold Nicolae, Iancu Stefania Dana, Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics exposure on in vitro-grown Stevia rebaudiana plants, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 197 (2023) 107634

Daria Ciupei, Alexandru Colișar, Loredana Florina Leopold, Andreea Stanilă, Zorita Diaconeasa, Polyphenols: From Classification to Therapeutic Potential and Bioavailability, Foods, 2024, Manuscript ID: foods-3357832

Conference

1. Loredana F. Leopold, Florina V. Scurtu, Doina Clapa, Nicolae Leopold, Stefania D. Iancu, Floricuța Ranga, Sonia A. Socacia,, Cristina Coman, Assessment of the impact of polystyrene nanoparticles on Stevia rebaudiana plants grown in vitro, 8thEuChemS Chemistry Congress (ECC8), 28.08 – 01.09.2022, Lisabona, Portugalia

2. Loredana F. Leopold, Stefania D. Iancu, Ramona G. Cozan, Andrei Stefancu and Nicolae Leopold, SERS assessment of uric acid and hypoxanthine imbalance in serum for cancer detection, 12th International Conference on Clinical Spectroscopy (SPEC), 19.06 – 23.06.2022, Dublin, Irland

3. Loredana F. Leopold, Florina V. Scurtu, Doina Clapa, Nicolae Leopold, Stefania D. Iancu, Floricuța Ranga, Sonia A. Socacia, Cristina Coman, Assessment of the impact of polystyrene nanoparticles on Stevia rebaudiana plants grown in vitro, CNB 2022 17th National Conference of Biophysics with International Participation, 23.09 – 25.09.2022, Târgu Mureș, România

4. Nicolae Leopold, Stefania D. Iancu, Ramona Cozan, Alexandra Chiriac, Alexandru Chiș, Georgiana Ion, Ciprian Grigoroaea, Loredana F. Leopold, Ștefancu Andrei, Vlad Moisoiu, SERS liquid biopsy for medical diagnosis, CNB 2022 17th National Conference of Biophysics with International Participation, 23.09 – 25.09.2022, Târgu Mureș, România

5. Loredana Florina Leopold, Florina Violeta Scurtu, Doina Clapa, Nicolae Leopold, Stefania Dana Iancu, Floricuța Ranga, Sonia Socaci, Cristina Coman, Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics exposure on in vivo-grown Stevia rebaudiana plants, International Conference on Advanced Vibrational Spectroscopy (ICAVS12), 27.08 – 01.09. 2023. Krakow, Poland

6. Loredana F. Leopold, Florina V. Scurtu, Doina Clapa, Nicolae Leopold, Stefania D. Iancu, Floricuța Ranga, Sonia A. Socaci, Cristina Coman, Assessing the risks of nanoplastic exposure to plants: Implications for growth and steviol glycoside production, The Annual International Conference of RSBMB, 13-15.09.2023, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

7. Florina Violeta Scurtu, Doina Clapa, Floricuța Ranga, Vasile Coman, Augustin C. Moț, Sonia Ancuţa Socaci, Loredana Florina Leopold, Cristina Coman, Toxicity of Gadolinium on Stevia rebaudiana grown in vitro, The Annual International Conference of RSBMB, 13-15.09.2023, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

8. Loredana F. Leopold, Florina V. Scurtu, Doina Clapa, Nicolae Leopold, Stefania D. Iancu, Floricuța Ranga, Cristina Coman, Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on metabolite concentrations in Stevia Rebaudiana plants grown in vivo, 18th National Conference of Biophysics, September 5 - 7 2024, Iasi University of Life Sciences, Romania

9. Mădălina Medeleanu, Antonio Cascajosa, Silvia Picharo, Ana Belen Cerezo, Giorgiana Cătunescu and Sonia Socaci, Citrus essential oils nano-emulsions: from a toxicological point of view, 23rd International Conference Life Sciences for Sustainable Development, 26 - 28 September 2024, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

10. Loredana F. Leopold, Vasile Coman, Cristina Coman, Rapid and Non-Invasive Identification of Carotenoids in Food Samples using Thin-Layer Chromatography Combined with Raman Detection, 10th International Conference on Food Chemistry & Technology, November 25-27, 2024, Valencia, Spain

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