Cyren M Rico

• PhD Chemistry, MS Agronomy, BS Chemistry
• Professor (Associate) at Missouri State University

In this study, Brassica chinensis L seedlings after 6 weeks of soil cultivation were treated with foliar application of TiO 2 NPs (20 mg/L) for different times. Transcriptomics analysis was employed to investigate the impact of TiO 2 NPs on the physiology, growth, and yield of B. chinensis L. Results showed that TiO 2 NPs' exposure significantly in...

Introduction The increasing use of cerium nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) has made their influx in agroecosystems imminent through air and soil deposition or untreated wastewater irrigation. Another major pollutant associated with anthropogenic activities is Cd, which has adverse effects on plants, animals, and humans. The major source of the influx of Cd...

Hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), is a common heavy metal that, if not remediated, will do great harm to the environment. Recently, nanoscale zerovalent iron (nZVI), a widely used water remediation nanomaterial, can be applied for Cr(VI) removal. In this study, ball-milled biochars (BM-BC) prepared from ball milling peanut shells biochar were reacted wi...

Cerium (Ce4+) and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) have diversified reported effects on plants. Once dispersed in the environment their fate is not well understood, especially in co-existence with other pollutants like cadmium (Cd). The effect of co-application of Ce and Cd are reported in various studies, but the role of Ce source (ionic or b...

Soil microbial toxicity is an important topic for understanding the environmental risk of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria). Biolog Ecoplate, a technique that analyzes microbial functional diversity based on carbon source...

Ziziphus jujuba Mill. is a fruit native to China, and widely distributed in the world for its nutritional value. In this study, Jujube Huping fruits were collected from tree with ages (5, 13, 30, 100-years old) at two different ripening stages. The results showed that the contents of reducing sugars increased with tree age except for 5 years old tr...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are utility chemicals that have become environmental contaminants of global concern due to their bioaccumulative and persistent nature. The accumulation and effects of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), a type of PFAS, on agricultural plants is a serious environmental concern that needs to be investigate...

Nanoscale metals are widely used in many fields such as environment, medicine, and engineering that synthesis of nanoscale metals is a timely topic. At present, nanoscale metals are mainly synthesized by chemical methods that have unintended effects such as environmental pollution, large energy consumption, and potential health problems. In respons...

Understanding the unintended consequences of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) to terrestrial plants, the environment, and humans is an intensive area of research. Metabolomics is a technique employed to assess the impacts of NPs exposure in plants. The majority of the studies were performed on untargeted metabolomics of roots and shoots of plants exp...

A review of the literature shows that when plants are exposed to engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), responses have been positive, negative, or in some cases have shown no effect. Recent review articles often attempt to explain these highly variable responses based on particle size, shape, and composition for providing insight into the underlying mech...

Misunderstanding on the claims and statements in Hong et al. (2021) were clarified.

Foliar spray of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) as nanofertilizers, nanopesticides, nanosensors, and nanocarriers is increasingly being employed in the agricultural industry. Foliar spraying of NPs improves the effectiveness of plant protection technologies compared to traditional soil-root application. Foliar-sprayed NPs mainly enter the leaves thr...

Crops and wild plants are being exposed to increasing amounts of engineered cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) through soil, water and air. Recent studies showed that exposure to CeO2-NPs can alter the development and transcriptome profiles of plants. In addition, 1st generation exposures resulted in changes of physiology and nutrient profiles o...

This study investigated changes in metabolite compositions over three generation exposure of wheat (Triticum aestivum) to cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) in low or high nitrogen soil. The goal was to determine if CeO2-NPs affects grains/seeds quality across generational exposure. Seeds from plants exposed for two generations to 0 or 500 mg Ce...

This study investigated the effects of third generation exposure to cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) on biomass, elemental and 15N uptake, and fatty acid contents of wheat (Triticum aestivum). At low or high nitrogen treatment (48 or 112 mg N), seeds exposed for two generations to 0 or 500 mg CeO2-NPs per kg soil treatment were cultivated for...

The effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) on ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio (δ¹⁵N) in wheat and barley were investigated. Seedlings were exposed to 0 and 500 mg CeO2-NPs/L (Ce-0 and Ce-500, respectively) in hydroponic suspension supplied with NH4NO3, NH4⁺, or NO3⁻. N uptake and δ¹⁵N discrimination (i.e. differences in δ¹⁵N of plant and δ¹⁵N of N source)...

The transformation of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) in soil and its role in plant uptake is a critical knowledge gap in the literature. This study investigated the reduction and speciation of CeO2-NPs in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivated in soil amended with 250 mg CeO2-NPs kg⁻¹ soil. Synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence (µXRF) was emp...

The effect of biofertilizer (compound of microbial inoculants or groups of micro-organisms) on growth and yield of rice was investigated. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 7 treatments namely: RF=N-P2O5-K2O (11-5.5-4.8 kg 10a-1 ); half of the recommended fertilizer rate, HRF=N-P2O5-K2O (5.5...

The intergenerational impact of engineered nanomaterials in plants is a key knowledge gap in the literature. A soil microcosm study was performed to assess the effects of multi-generational exposure of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs). Seeds from plants that were exposed to 0, 125, and 500 mg CeO2-NPs kg⁻¹ soil...

A soil microcosm study was performed to examine the impacts of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) on the physiology, productivity, and macromolecular composition of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The plants were cultivated in soil treated with nCeO2 at 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg kg(-1) (control, nCeO2-L, nCeO2-M, and nCeO2-H, respectively). Accumulation...

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) have extensive industrial applications, and concerns regarding their threat to the environment have been raised. This study includes structural analysis of intact root xylem of rice (Oryza sativaL.), wheat (Triticum aestivumL.), and barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) seedlings exposed to nCeO2 suspensions (0, 62.5, 125, 2...

As time passes, engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are more frequently found in medical and consumer products, as well as in industrial and agricultural applications. The intensive production, use, and disposal of ENPs-containing wastes increase the likelihood of emission of such products to the environment. During the last two decades, a body of scie...

The increased production and use of nanoparticles (NPs) has generated concerns about their impact on living organisms. In this study, nCu, bulk Cu, nCuO, bulk CuO, Cu(OH)2 (CuPRO 2005, Kocide 3000), and CuCl2 were exposed for 15 days to 10 days-old hydroponically grown lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Each compound was applie...

The implications of engineered nanomaterials on crop productivity and food quality are not yet well understood. The impacts of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) on growth and yield attributes and nutritional composition in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were examined. Wheat was cultivated to grain production in soil amended with 0, 125, 250, and 500...

Manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) are increasingly produced and used in consumer goods, yet our knowledge regarding their environmental risks is limited. Environmental risks are assessed by characterizing exposure levels and biological receptor effects. As MNMs have rarely been quantified in environmental samples, our understanding of exposure leve...

Currently, most of the nanotoxicity studies in plants involve exposure to the nanoparticles (NPs) through the roots. However, plants interact with atmospheric NPs through the leaves and our knowledge on their response to this contact is limited. In this study, hydroponically grown cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plants were aerially treated either with...

There is lack of information about the effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on cucumber fruit quality. This study aimed to determine possible impacts on carbohydrates, proteins, mineral nutrients and antioxidants in the fruit of cucumber plants grown in soil treated with CeO2 and ZnO NPs at 0- 800 mg/kg. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was...

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are released into the environment with unknown implications in the food chain. Recent findings demonstrate that ENMs may accumulate and/or increase concentrations of the component metal or carbon nanomaterials in the fruits/grains of agricultural crops, have detrimental or beneficial effects on the agronomic traits,...

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) have been shown to have significant interactions in plants; however, there are limited reports on their impacts in rice (Oryza sativa). Given the widespread environmental dispersal of nCeO2, it is paramount to understand its biochemical and molecular impacts on a globally-important agricultural crop such as rice....

The toxicological effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in plants are still largely unknown. In the present study, green pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants were treated with 0, 125, 250, and 500 mg kg(-1) of either ZnO NPs or bulk ZnO in organic matter enriched soil. Corresponding toxicological effects were measured on the basis of plant growth,...

Despite the remarkable number of literature on the interaction of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) with plants, our knowledge on the implications of ENPs in the nutritional value of food crops is still limited. This research was performed to study the quality of rice grains harvested from plants grown in soil treated with cerium oxide nanoparticles...

Studies have shown that CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs) can be accumulated in plants without modification, which could pose a threat for human health. In this research, cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.) plants were germinated and grown for 30 days in soil amended with 0 to 500 mg kg(-1) CeO2 NPs and analyzed by spectroscopic techniques and biochemical assa...

Previous studies have reported the uptake of cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) by plants, but their physiological impacts are not well understood yet. This research was aimed to study the impact of nCeO2 on the oxidative stress and antioxidant defense system in germinating rice seeds. The seeds were germinated for 10 days in nCeO2 suspension at 62...

With the increased use of engineered nanomaterials such as ZnO and CeO2 nanoparticles (NPs), these materials will inevitably be released into the environment, with unknown consequences. In addition, the potential storage of these NPs or their biotransformed products in edible/ reproductive organs of crop plants can enter them into the food chain, a...

Environmental matrices including soils, sediments, and living organisms are reservoirs of several essential as well as non-essential elements. Accurate qualitative and quantitative information on the distribution and interaction of biologically significant elements is vital to understand the role of these elements in environmental and biological sa...

The rapid development of nanotechnology will inevitably release nanoparticles (NPs) into the environment with unidentified consequences. In addition, the potential toxicity of CeO(2) NPs to plants and the possible transfer into the food chain are still unknown. Corn plants ( Zea mays ) were germinated and grown in soil treated with CeO(2) NPs at 40...

Th e eff ects of mixture of rice hull charcoal and pyroligneous acid (MRPA) and mixture of wood charcoal and pyroligneous acid (MWPA) with reduced rate of chemical fertilizer on the yield, and antioxidant and nutritional quality of rice were investigated. Results showed that RF (Recommended N-P-K fertilizer application = 110-55-48 kg ha -1) general...

The uptake, bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and risks of nanomaterials (NMs) for food crops are still not well understood. Very few NMs and plant species have been studied, mainly at the very early growth stages of the plants. Most of the studies, except one with multiwalled carbon nanotubes performed on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and...

Effects of calcium nitrate (CN) and sodium sulfate (SS) blossom thinning agents applied after selfincompatibility control substance (SICS) treatment on the fruit set rate and quality of apple were investigated for 2 cropping seasons. CN and SS at 0.1% and 0.2% concentrations were applied once (3 or 4 days after SICS treatment) or twice (3 and 5 or...

The influence of variety, location, growing year, and storage on the total phosphorus (total P), phytate-P, and phytate-P to total P ratio in Korean rice varieties was investigated. Experiment 1 investigated the influence of 9 rice varieties, 4 locations, and 2 growing years. In experiment 2, the effect of storage for 1, 6, and 12 months was examin...

The growth, yield and chemical properties of waxy corn Sonjajang×KNU-7 and Asan×KNU-7 planted in different dates and mulch types in a converted paddy field was investigated. Experiment was carried out in a ran-domized complete block design in a split split-plot arrangement with four replications. Planting dates (D) [May 16 (D1, early), June 1 (D2,...

The effects of cultivar and cultivation temperatures on root extract, ash content and saikosaponin content of Bupleurum falcatum L were investigated using four Japanese and one Korean cultivars. Results showed that the Korean cultivar obtained higher root extract and saikosaponin contents but lower ash content than the Japanese cultivars at cultiva...

The effects of self-incompatibility control substance (SICS) on self-pollination, fruit set, fruit weight, and seed number of pear cultivars 'Manpung', 'Wonhwang', and 'Niitaka' were investigated. SICS at 1 or 2 mL･L-1 was sprayed at 1 day before (BHP) or after hand pollination (AHP), BHP using reduced pollen volume (BHPR), and 1 day before (BFB),...

The effect of rice bran (RB) applied alone or in combination with chemical fertilizer at different application rate on the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of rice was investigated. The treatments were 3 levels of RB namely: 200% RB (500 kg ), 100% RB (250 kg ), 50% RB (125 kg ), Recommended fertilizer dose (RF: , 11-5.5-4.8 kg ) combined w...

The effects of mixed treatments of wood vinegar (WV) and sulfonylurea-based herbicides on the weed control and the yield and yield components of transplanted rice were investigated. The herbicides tested were: pyrazosulfuron-ethyl+esprocarb [PSE; ethyl-5-[(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2- ylcarbamoyl)sulfamoyl]-1-methylpyrazole-4-carboxylate+S-benzyl (RS)...

The effect of mixed treatments of wood vinegar and sulfonylurea-based herbicides on weed control, yield and yield components, and quality of rice was investigated. Two herbicides were tested namely: imazosulfuron-ethyl+thiobencarb[ethyl-1-(2-chloroimidazo[1,2-]pyridin-3-ylsulfonyl)-3-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl) urea+S-4-chlorobenzyl diethyl(thioc...

A field experiment was conducted to investigate effects of application time and rate of biofertilizer alone and in combination with chemical NPK fertilizer on growth, yield and quality of rice. The biofertilizer used composted food waste as substrate and added with effective microorganism. The treatments included recommended NPK fertilizer(RF, ), h...

The effects of combined treatments of wood vinegar and commonly used foliar and soil-applied herbicides on weed control, yield and yield components, and quality of rice were investigated. The herbicides tested were cyhalofop-butyl+bentazone and butachlor+chlomazone. Treatments used were recommended (RH:100%) application rate, half-recommended (HRH:...

The effect of biofertilizer in enhancing nutrient quality and antioxidant property of rice grain was investigated. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications and 7 treatments namely : RF = half of the recommended fertilizer rate, HRF+Bio 250=HRF combined with 250 kg Biofertilizer 10 ; HRF+Bio 500=HRF co...

The study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the popular isoflavone-rich soybean 'agakong' in upland and in drained-paddy fields. Analysis revealed no significant variation in terms of plant height, number of seeds per pod, number of nodes, and 100-seed weight between the two cropping system. Number of pods was significantly higher in pad...

Essential oil was extracted through enzymatic hydrolysis to recover essential oil from the leaves of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin (Blco.) Benth). The fungal pectinase from the extracted oil had an average volumetric activity of 25.10 PTE units per g. It was produced at the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), Univers...