EMI

Hydrogels, three-dimensional polymeric networks capable of absorbing and retaining significant amounts of aqueous solution, offer a promising platform for controlled release of desired compounds. In this study, we explored the effects of urea delivery through galactoxyloglucan-sodium alginate hydrogels on the phenotypic and metabolic responses of Brassica juncea, a vital oilseed and vegetable crop. The experiments were conducted with four treatments: control (without hydrogel beads and urea), direct urea supplementation (U), hydrogel beads with urea (HBWU), and hydrogel beads without urea (HBWOU). Our findings revealed that HBWU-treated plants exhibited commendable plant growth with significantly higher chlorophyll content (11.06 mg/0.1g) compared to the control (3.67 mg/0.1g) and U-treated group (6.41 mg/0.1g). Metabolic analysis identified 17 major intra-cellular metabolites involved in nitrogen metabolism. HBWU treatment significantly boosted nitrogen assimilation in plants, as evidenced by the upregulation of 9 metabolites. Furthermore, a proposed schematic diagram illustrates the HBWU induced-metabolic pathways and nitrogen metabolism in B. juncea. These findings demonstrate the potential of hydrogel-based controlled-release systems to enhance plant growth and nitrogen assimilation.

水凝胶（Hydrogels）是一类可吸收并留存大量水溶液的三维聚合物网络，为目标化合物的控释提供了极具潜力的载体平台。本研究探究了通过半乳木葡聚糖-海藻酸钠水凝胶递送尿素，对重要油料与蔬菜作物芥菜（Brassica juncea）的表型及代谢响应的影响。本实验设置四组处理：对照组（不添加水凝胶微球与尿素）、直接尿素补充组（U组）、载尿素水凝胶微球组（HBWU组）以及无尿素水凝胶微球组（HBWOU组）。研究结果显示，经HBWU处理的植株生长表现优异，其叶绿素含量（11.06 mg/0.1g）显著高于对照组（3.67 mg/0.1g）与U处理组（6.41 mg/0.1g）。代谢组分析共鉴定出17种参与氮代谢的主要细胞内代谢物。HBWU处理可显著促进植株的氮同化过程，9种代谢物的上调表达即为有力佐证。此外，本研究提出的示意图阐明了HBWU处理诱导的芥菜氮代谢与相关代谢通路。上述研究结果证实了基于水凝胶的控释系统在促进植株生长与氮同化方面的应用潜力。