Assessment of Magnesium and Zinc Levels in Borage Plant Under the Effect of Irradiation and Spraying with Nanoparticles

Abstract

The study investigated effects of irradiation and nanoparticles spraying on the chemical content of borage leaves in 20 experimental groups. Each with ten replicates, categorized based on treatment type to gamma radiation, and nanoparticle spraying which were sprayed uniformly on the aerial parts of each plant at 21 days after germination. Using a fine-nozzle hand sprayer to ensure full coverage without excess. Results showed that the spraying of MgO nanoparticles at a concentration of 20 mg/L significantly increased magnesium levels (p ≤ 0.05). Reaching a peak value of 1.50 ± 0.14 mg/L compared to the control group. In the case of zinc, treatment with ZnO nanoparticles at 40 mg/L led to a modest improvement, with the highest observed concentration being 1.73 ± 0.14 mg/L. The radiation-only groups (CR1–CR3) failed to show any significant improvement in mineral levels; instead, there were notable decreases in some groups, especially at higher doses (180 Gy in CR3). Combined treatments (N1R1–N4R3) showed no significant improvement over nanoparticle spraying alone. Nanoparticle spraying alone was more effective than radiation in improving both magnesium and zinc levels. The combination of radiation and nanoparticle spraying did not yield better results than nanoparticle treatment alone, suggesting that radiation might weaken the benefits of nanoparticles in mineral uptake.