Investigating the Synergistic Effects of Nano CeO2 and Pr2O3 Rare Earth Element Oxides as Fertilizers on the Growth of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Bunge

Abstract The study aims to synthesize nano CeO 2 and Pr 2 O 3 materials to use as fertilizer for cultivation of the Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, which is also known as Danshen, an important medicinal plant in many Asian countries. The extraction experiments were also conducted to determine tanshinone IIA contents in the Danshen root to acutely explore effects of the nano‐materials on accumulation of valuable medicine in the plant. The obtained results indicated that nano CeO 2 and Pr 2 O 3 applications significantly induced both growth and tanshinone IIA contents of the Danshen. Firstly, t he Ce O 2 application greatly induced side branch and root development of the Danshen rather than the height of the plant, while the Pr 2 O 3 application greatly induced plant height and root growth of the Danshen rather than side branch development. In comparison, the CeO 2 effectively induced root growth and tanshinone IIA content in the Danshen rather than the Pr 2 O 3 did. Finally, simultaneous applications of nano Pr 2 O 3 and CeO 2 revealed synergic effects to greatly promote the growth of the Danshen. The tanshinone IIA content extracted from the roots of the mixture Pr 2 O 3 and CeO 2 exposed Danshen was approximately 0.4318 %, which was higher than those of single CeO 2 and Pr 2 O 3 exposed plants.