Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> Microgreens
Plants in space face unique challenges, including chronic ionizing radiation and reduced gravity, which affect their growth and functionality. Understanding these impacts is essential to determine the cultivation conditions and protective shielding needs in future space greenhouses. While certain do...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/1/64 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841549070756216832 |
|---|---|
| author | Sara De Francesco Isabel Le Disquet Veronica Pereda-Loth Lenka Tisseyre Stefania De Pascale Chiara Amitrano Eugénie Carnero Diaz Veronica De Micco |
| author_facet | Sara De Francesco Isabel Le Disquet Veronica Pereda-Loth Lenka Tisseyre Stefania De Pascale Chiara Amitrano Eugénie Carnero Diaz Veronica De Micco |
| author_sort | Sara De Francesco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plants in space face unique challenges, including chronic ionizing radiation and reduced gravity, which affect their growth and functionality. Understanding these impacts is essential to determine the cultivation conditions and protective shielding needs in future space greenhouses. While certain doses of ionizing radiation may enhance crop yield and quality, providing “functional food” rich in bioactive compounds, to support astronaut health, the combined effects of radiation and reduced gravity are still unclear, with potential additive, synergistic, or antagonistic interactions. This paper investigates the combined effect of chronic ionizing radiation and reduced gravity on <i>Brassica rapa</i> seed germination and microgreens growth. Four cultivation scenarios were designed: standard Earth conditions, chronic irradiation alone, simulated reduced gravity alone, and a combination of irradiation and reduced gravity. An analysis of the harvested microgreens revealed that growth was moderately reduced under chronic irradiation combined with altered gravity, likely due to oxidative stress, primarily concentrated in the roots. Indeed, an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed, as well as of polyphenols, likely to counteract oxidative damage and preserve the integrity of essential structures, such as the root stele. These findings represent an important step toward understanding plant acclimation in space to achieve sustainable food production on orbital and planetary platforms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-66b2c1576ac94748a5f1a4ab9b2a5dc8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-66b2c1576ac94748a5f1a4ab9b2a5dc82025-01-10T13:19:38ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-12-011416410.3390/plants14010064Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> MicrogreensSara De Francesco0Isabel Le Disquet1Veronica Pereda-Loth2Lenka Tisseyre3Stefania De Pascale4Chiara Amitrano5Eugénie Carnero Diaz6Veronica De Micco7Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, ItalyInstitute of Systematic, Evolution, Biodiversity of Sorbonne University, 75005 Paris, FranceEvolsan-GSBMS, Faculté de Santé, University of Toulouse III, 31062 Toulouse, FranceEvolsan-GSBMS, Faculté de Santé, University of Toulouse III, 31062 Toulouse, FranceDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, ItalyInstitute of Systematic, Evolution, Biodiversity of Sorbonne University, 75005 Paris, FranceDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, ItalyPlants in space face unique challenges, including chronic ionizing radiation and reduced gravity, which affect their growth and functionality. Understanding these impacts is essential to determine the cultivation conditions and protective shielding needs in future space greenhouses. While certain doses of ionizing radiation may enhance crop yield and quality, providing “functional food” rich in bioactive compounds, to support astronaut health, the combined effects of radiation and reduced gravity are still unclear, with potential additive, synergistic, or antagonistic interactions. This paper investigates the combined effect of chronic ionizing radiation and reduced gravity on <i>Brassica rapa</i> seed germination and microgreens growth. Four cultivation scenarios were designed: standard Earth conditions, chronic irradiation alone, simulated reduced gravity alone, and a combination of irradiation and reduced gravity. An analysis of the harvested microgreens revealed that growth was moderately reduced under chronic irradiation combined with altered gravity, likely due to oxidative stress, primarily concentrated in the roots. Indeed, an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed, as well as of polyphenols, likely to counteract oxidative damage and preserve the integrity of essential structures, such as the root stele. These findings represent an important step toward understanding plant acclimation in space to achieve sustainable food production on orbital and planetary platforms.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/1/64chronic gamma radiationmicrogravitymicrogreensspace farmingspace explorationMars colonization |
| spellingShingle | Sara De Francesco Isabel Le Disquet Veronica Pereda-Loth Lenka Tisseyre Stefania De Pascale Chiara Amitrano Eugénie Carnero Diaz Veronica De Micco Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> Microgreens Plants chronic gamma radiation microgravity microgreens space farming space exploration Mars colonization |
| title | Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> Microgreens |
| title_full | Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> Microgreens |
| title_fullStr | Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> Microgreens |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> Microgreens |
| title_short | Combined Effects of Microgravity and Chronic Low-Dose Gamma Radiation on <i>Brassica rapa</i> Microgreens |
| title_sort | combined effects of microgravity and chronic low dose gamma radiation on i brassica rapa i microgreens |
| topic | chronic gamma radiation microgravity microgreens space farming space exploration Mars colonization |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/1/64 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT saradefrancesco combinedeffectsofmicrogravityandchroniclowdosegammaradiationonibrassicarapaimicrogreens AT isabelledisquet combinedeffectsofmicrogravityandchroniclowdosegammaradiationonibrassicarapaimicrogreens AT veronicaperedaloth combinedeffectsofmicrogravityandchroniclowdosegammaradiationonibrassicarapaimicrogreens AT lenkatisseyre combinedeffectsofmicrogravityandchroniclowdosegammaradiationonibrassicarapaimicrogreens AT stefaniadepascale combinedeffectsofmicrogravityandchroniclowdosegammaradiationonibrassicarapaimicrogreens AT chiaraamitrano combinedeffectsofmicrogravityandchroniclowdosegammaradiationonibrassicarapaimicrogreens AT eugeniecarnerodiaz combinedeffectsofmicrogravityandchroniclowdosegammaradiationonibrassicarapaimicrogreens AT veronicademicco combinedeffectsofmicrogravityandchroniclowdosegammaradiationonibrassicarapaimicrogreens |