Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Antioxidant Defense in Drought-Stressed Tomato: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Research Gaps

Md Shariful Islam; Md Asaduzzaman; Alam Khan; Mirza Humayun Kabir; Razon Ahmad; G M Shafiur Rahman

doi:10.25163/biosensors.5110857

Biosensors and Nanotheranostics

Bionanotechnology, Drug Delivery, Therapeutics | online ISSN 3064-7789

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Volume 5 Number 1 2026

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Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Antioxidant Defense in Drought-Stressed Tomato: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Research Gaps

Abstract 1. Introduction 2. Materials and Methods: Literature Search Strategy 3. Drought-Induced Oxidative Stress in Tomato 4. The Enzymatic and Non-Enzymatic Antioxidant System 5. IONP Physicochemistry, Uptake, and Fate in Planta 6. Mechanisms of IONP-Mediated Antioxidant Regulation 7. Physiological and Yield Consequences 8. Dose-Dependence, Phytotoxicity, and Hormesis 9. Challenges, Knowledge Gaps, and Future Prospects 10. Conclusion Author Contributions Acknowledgements Competing Financial Interests References

Md Shariful Islam¹*, Md Asaduzzaman², Alam Khan³, Mirza Humayun Kabir⁴, Razon Ahmad⁴, G M Shafiur Rahman⁴

+ Author Affiliations

Biosensors and Nanotheranostics 5 (1) 1-11 https://doi.org/10.25163/biosensors.5110857

Submitted: 28 April 2026 Revised: 06 July 2026 Accepted: 10 July 2026 Published: 13 July 2026

Abstract

Background: Drought is the foremost abiotic constraint on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production, acting largely through reactive oxygen species (ROS) overaccumulation and consequent oxidative damage to membranes and macromolecules. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), principally magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), have recently emerged as a candidate tool for reinforcing antioxidant defenses while supplying iron, an essential cofactor for chlorophyll biosynthesis and several antioxidant enzymes; however, the evidence base remains scattered across species and stress types.

Methods: We conducted a structured, reproducible literature search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (2000–2026), combining tomato-specific and cross-species evidence on IONP exposure, antioxidant enzyme activity, and oxidative stress markers, synthesized narratively around recurring mechanistic themes rather than pooled quantitatively.

Results: Across tomato and comparable crop systems, low-to-moderate IONP doses consistently raised superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase activity, lowered malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide content, and improved growth and water status, while excessive doses reversed these benefits through Fenton-driven phytotoxicity — a pattern most clearly captured in Table 3 and the conceptual model in Figure 1. Mechanistically, benefits appear to converge on iron cofactor supply, controlled redox priming, transcriptional up-regulation of antioxidant genes, and cross-talk with osmolytes and phytohormones (Figures 2 and 3).

Conclusion: IONPs represent a mechanistically coherent, though still tomato-underexplored, strategy for drought mitigation; realizing this potential will require tomato-specific, molecularly resolved, and field-validated dose-response research.

Keywords: iron oxide nanoparticles; drought stress; tomato; antioxidant enzymes; reactive oxygen species

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Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Antioxidant Defense in Drought-Stressed Tomato: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Research Gaps

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