Exposure of cherry radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. Radculus Pers) to iron-based nanoparticles enhances its nutritional quality by trigging the essential elements

Iron (Fe) deficiency is a pervasive nutritional disorder, and producing vegetables enriched with Fe as a dietary source is imperative. Herein, Fe₃O₄, FeO(OH), α-Fe₂O₃, β-Fe₂O₃, γ-Fe₃O₄, and nZVI nanoparticles (NPs) were applied in soil as fertilizer to enhance the Fe nutrition in cherry radish. The highest enhancement of Fe content (58%) was observed in Fe₃O₄ treatment at 100 mg kg⁻¹, followed by FeO(OH) (49%), α-Fe₂O₃ (24%), nZVI (14%), β-Fe₂O₃ (13%) and γ-Fe₃O₄ (4%). The daily intake of Fe was 97–104% and 77–91% with Fe₃O₄ and FeO(OH) at 100–200 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Moreover, the zinc, vitamin C and crude protein contents were also increased by 37, 48 and 67% under Fe₃O₄ treatment as compared to control. Fe₃O₄ at 100 mg kg⁻¹ also increased the essential amino acids (phenylalanine, leucine and isoleucine) contents by 11–14%. These data suggest that Fe₃O₄ and FeO(OH) NPs could be effective nanofertilizers to enhance Fe nutrition in plants.