Detoxification Strategy of Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles Driving Endogenous Molecules Metabolism to Modulate Atrazine Conversion in Lactuca sativa L.

Abstract

Nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit the potential to enhance plant tolerance to organic pollutant stress, but how they drive endogenous molecules to detoxify contaminants remains to be further investigated. This study clarified the modulatory mechanisms by which foliar or root application of biosynthesized titanium oxide NPs (g-nTiO₂) alleviated atrazine (ATZ) toxicity to Lactuca sativa L. Compared with the ATZ-alone group, 10 mg/L g-nTiO₂ intensified light-harvesting, photoelectron transfer, and reduced oxidative damage, thereby improving growth and inducing metabolic reprogramming. Specifically, g-nTiO₂ activated pathways related to energy supply and defense detoxification, while stabilizing membrane lipid and nitrogen metabolism. Furthermore, the modulation of biomarkers involved in balancing cellular homeostasis and stimulating growth by g-nTiO₂ ultimately boosted lettuce resistance to ATZ and physiological performance. Molecular docking analysis revealed that g-nTiO₂ enhanced the Phase II metabolism of ATZ by glutathione and amino acids through increasing detoxification enzyme activities by 23–44%, which confirmed the driving role of NPs in alleviating ATZ phytotoxicity to lettuce. Collectively, these findings provide a prospective nanoenabled strategy for mitigating crop sensitivity to pesticide residues for safe and sustainable agricultural production.