Effect of glyphosate toxin, nano silver and carbon nanotubes on the genetic material, germination and antioxidant enzymes of barley

Globally, the application of nanoparticles has advanced significantly in recent years. Nonetheless, as nanoparticle usage escalates, there is a concomitant emission into the environment and detrimental effects on organisms. This study employed the Comet assay in vitro to determine the impact of agents containing silver nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and glyphosate at five different concentrations (control, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/L) on the DNA break index of barely (Hordeum vulgare L.). To accomplish this, the seeds were sterilized and cultivated using the sandwich method. Following a period of 72 hours, both the treated roots and the seeds were collected for the Comet assay. The results indicated that the 10-ppm treatment yielded the highest mean number of germinated seeds (25.3 value). However, as the concentration increased, this characteristic significantly decreased, and the 100-ppm treatment produced the lowest mean with 11.48 value. With respect to antioxidant activity, phosphonates produced the highest amounts of SOD, CAT, and APX at a concentration of 100 mg/L (10.3, 58.3, and 11.4 U.mg-1 protein, respectively). DNA fragmentation increased significantly in response to the experimental treatments. Additionally, it was observed that DNA damage exhibited a substantial increase as the concentrations rose. Additionally, among the three agents under investigation, glyphosate exhibited notably more detrimental effects compared to silver nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes.