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.