Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on the Physiology of Higher Plants

The review summarizes the results of experimental studies of physiological processes occurring in the organism of higher plants during their interaction with silver nanoparticles. According to the available data, silver nanoparticles can be internalized by plant roots and leaves and then transported throughout the plant organism via the apoplastic and symplastic pathways. When silver nanoparticles enter the plant’s body, they trigger a cascade of intracellular reactions. Depending on exposure conditions, silver nanoparticles can both have a positive effect, such as increased plant growth and activation of specific and nonspecific plant defense mechanisms, and a negative effect, such as plant development inhibition. The key factors determining the effect of silver nanoparticles on higher plants, such as the dosage and the route of exposure, as well as the physicochemical parameters, including the size of nanoparticles and the nature of the surface stabilizer were reviewed. Promising directions for further research were considered.