Cuprous Oxide Nanoparticles Induced Antioxidant Response and Genotoxicity in Lycopersicum esculentum

High doses of copper (Cu) will cause hindrance in the plant development including structural, catalytic and regulatory activities in spite of the fact that copper is a basic and vital component for biological process in plants. The positive effect of cuprous oxide nanoparticles (Cu 2 O NPs) might be due to firstly, by the prevention of damage to cell membrane, secondly by up keeping oxidation and expression of some antioxidant-related genes and enzymes like superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, polyphenol oxidase and phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase which showed an antagonistic regulation in contrast with plant that were treated above 100 ppm Cu 2 O NPs. Damage caused by cuprous oxide nanoparticles on tomato plant is measured with cellular assays. The comet assay for DNA damage analysis revealed the nuclear DNA damage in different treatments of plants. The micronucleus assay showed the formation of micronuclei as a result of DNA damage and the increments in micronucleus were seen with increased concentrations of Cu 2 O NPs. The per cent micronuclei induction was found to be 0.53 and 3.26 for 100 ppm and 1000 ppm Cu 2 O NPs which is statistically significant. DNA fragmentation/apoptotic events occurring both in the control and treated leaves of tomato plants were assessed. DNA fragmentation was measured in a ROI by estimating fluorescence intensity. The per cent damage was found to be 2.16, 5.72 and 11.3, respectively, for control, 100 ppm and 1000 ppm Cu 2 O NPs-treated samples.