Discussion
Foliar treatment at all ZnO-NP concentrations increased the amounts of bioactive components of silybin (A+B), which enhanced the growth and yield of S. marianum plants while increasing the levels of N, P, K, and Zn in their leaves, roots, and fruits; the levels of photosynthetic pigments in their leaves; and silybin (A+B) content in their fruits, thereby increasing the medicinal value of S. marianum. The highest gains were observed in plants sprayed with the highest ZnO-NP concentration (20.0 mg/L). In addition, gene expression studies revealed that ZnO-NPs stimulated silybin (A+B) production by activating CHS genes. The administration of S. marianum extracts to Dex-administered rats increased osteoblast and bone formation while inhibiting osteoclast and bone resorption, thereby protecting the animals against Dex-induced osteoporosis.
Methods
In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of the foliar application of ZnO-NPs on the growth, yield, photosynthetic pigment content, silybin (A+B) content, and the expression of the chalcone synthase (CHS) gene in S. marianum plants. Different concentrations of ZnO-NPs were administered as foliar sprays to S. marianum plants growing in greenhouse conditions. Furthermore, we evaluated the anti-osteoporotic efficacy of the corresponding fruit extract against dexamethasone (Dex)-induced osteoporosis.