ArticleBMC plant biology2026
Chitosan-loaded copper oxide nanocomposite as a promising antiviral alleviates Zucchini yellow mosaic virus infection in squash plants.
Article in BMC plant biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundChitosan has been reported to induce host defense responses against plant viruses, while copper oxide nanoparticles can directly inhibit viral infection. However, the combined effect of chitosan-loaded copper oxide (CS-CuO) nanocomposites, particularly across different nanosizes, remains unexplored against Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). Therefore, this study investigates the antiviral potential of CS-CuO nanocomposites of varying mean particle sizes (70.33, 30.20, and 17.18 nm) to determine whether size-dependent enhancement of induced resistance occurs in squash plants.
methodsThree CS-CuO nanocomposites with mean particle sizes of 70.33 nm (CS-CuO
resultsZYMV infection markedly increased oxidative damage, evidenced by elevated malondialdehyde levels, high disease incidence, and severe symptom development. Additionally, viral stress caused a modest increase in osmoprotectants as well as enzymatic (e.g., APX, SOD, CAT, PPO, and GR) and non-enzymatic antioxidants, but severely suppressed photosynthetic pigments and growth parameters. Foliar application of all CS-CuO nanocomposites significantly (p ≤ 0.05) mitigated ZYMV-induced damage by reducing lipid peroxidation, enhancing photosynthetic pigments, and further strengthening antioxidant capacity. These coordinated responses collectively reduced disease incidence and severity while improving plant growth. All reported treatment effects were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) according to two-way analysis of variance. Among treatments, CS-CuO
conclusionsOverall, CS-CuO nanocomposites, particularly the smallest formulation, effectively enhanced squash growth and activated defense responses against ZYMV. These findings highlight CS-CuO nanocomposites as promising, eco-friendly antiviral agents and a novel approach for the sustainable management of ZYMV in cucurbit production systems.
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