A Plant-Derived Arabinoxylan Platform for Biomolecule Delivery into Plant Cells

Nanotechnology offers innovative solutions for enhancing plant productivity through biocompatible, nontoxic nanocarriers capable of delivering diverse agrochemicals and biomolecules directly to plants. In this study, we demonstrated the potential of a nanocarrier system based on arabinoxylan (AX), a wheat bran-derived polymer. Two AX-based nanocarriers, fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled AX (AX–FITC) and positively charged AX (AX+), were synthesized and used to determine possible uptake and delivery of 35S-eGFP-Nos plasmid DNA (pDNA). Plant uptake of AX nanocarriers was assessed by various methods, including passive uptake through incubation, leaf injection, and vacuum infiltration. Among the tested methods, injection of conjugates into tobacco leaves and vacuum infiltration of seedlings proved to be the most efficient for delivering pDNA polyplexes. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of the phenotype and transcriptome of model Solanaceae species (tomato) exposed to varying nanoparticle concentrations revealed no signs of phytotoxicity or genotoxicity, reinforcing its biosafety for seed and plant treatments. This work highlights the potential of AX as a sustainable, plant-derived nanocarrier, offering a “green” alternative to synthetic nanomaterials for the delivery of DNA and agrochemicals in plant biotechnology and agriculture.