Selenium Nanoparticles Improve Quality, Bioactive Compounds and Enzymatic Activity in Jalapeño Pepper Fruits

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

I have gone through the review paper entitled “Selenium Nanoparticles Improve Quality, Bioactive Compounds and Enzymatic Activity in Jalapeño Pepper Fruits”. The authors have nicely presented their research. I have a few comments only which need to address in the review paper before its publication.

Line 30 This element what element .. state it

Line 31 influences what positively? .. Please clarify

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 1

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

“Selenium Nanoparticles Improve Quality, Bioactive Compounds and Enzymatic Activity in Jalapeño Pepper Fruits”

(1)- This is the second part of the previous published article of authors”

Gaucin-Delgado et al. (2021). Biofortification with selenium improves bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity in jalapeño pepper. Revista Mexicana Ciencias Agrícolas volume 12 number 8 November 12 - December 31, 2021

This is study was carried out on the mineral Se -form f selenate (Na2SeO4) using five treatments (0, 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 mg L^-1)

(2)- this current MS on the biofortification of pepper using different applied doses of nano-Se [nSe (1, 15, 15, 30 and 45 mg L-1)]

Please the applied dose of 15 in the abstract was repeated?

(3)- Please use the English only in your MS (NOT Spanish or more) like the following refs.

9. García-Galindo, H.; Ortega-Martínez, J.; García-Rosales, M.; Martínez, C.; Beristáin, C. La Capsaicina, El 506 Principio Pungente Del Chile; Su Naturaleza, Absorción, Metabolismo y Efectos Farmacológicos. Ciencia 1995, 507 46, 84–102. 508

10. Morales-Fernández, S.D.; Moreno-Velázquez, D.; Jesús, T.-D.; Vázquez-Cruz, F.; Ibáñez-Martínez, A.; Tobar- 509 Reyes, J.R. Fenología y Contenido de Capsaicinoides En Chile Producidos En Condiciones de Invernadero. Rev 510 Mex De Cienc Agric 2020, 11, 663–675. 511

11. Vázquez-Flota, F.; de Lourdes Miranda-Ham, M.; Monforte-González, M.; Gutiérrez-Carbajal, G.; Velázquez- 512 García, C.; Nieto-Pelayo, Y. La Biosíntesis de Capsaicinoides, El Principio Picante Del Chile. Revista Fitotecnia 513 Mexicana 2007, 30, 353–360.

12. Aguirre, H.E.; Muñoz, O. v El Chile Como Alimento. Revista de la Academia Mexicana de Ciencias 2015, 66, 16–23.

15. de la Cruz-Ricardez, D.D.; Ortiz-García, C.F.C.F.; Lagunes-Espinoza, L. del C.; Torres-de la Cruz, M.; 521 Hernández-Nataren, E. Compuestos Fenólicos, Carotenoides y Capsaicinoides En Frutos de Capsicum Spp. De 522 Tabasco, México. Agrociencia 2020, 54, 505–519.

37. Azcón-Bieto, J.; Talón, M. Fundamentos de Fisiología Vegetal; Edicions Universitat de Barcelona, 2000; ISBN 573 8483381826.

Please, so easy to translate the title of these refs. in English and at the end of ref. you can (in Spanish)

(5) - Section of abstract must be re-written again please, where the most findings in your study? This section only includes Material and methods?

(6)- Keywords: avoid to repeat any word already mentioned in the title, please!

(7) Introduction, please more concerns, please the informative introduction should include

Nano Selenium, biofortification, Pepper and its benefits for human heath, with more recent refs. like 2023 and 2022, please

(8) Materials and Methods:

Change 2.1. Plant material into 2.1. Plant materials

Correct 2.2. Experiment design into 2.2. Experimental design

Line 91: “The experimental design was completely randomized. Spherical Se nanoparticles 91 (nSe) of an average size of 20 nm [17]” which kind of method the nano-Se was prepared chemical or biological? More details are needed, please!

Line 107: the samples were introduced into a drying oven at 60 °C for 72 h

This is not correct at least 65°C and not more 70°C, please check?

Line 152: 2.7.2. Biomolecules extraction need a ref., please

Line 229: 2.9. Results analysis please change into Statistical analyses

Line 238: 3.1. Agronomic indexes please correct to 3.1. Agronomic indices

The same for Line 98;      2.3. Evaluation of agronomic indexes

Line 100: what does mean “height gain” how did you measure this index in Figure 2 b?

(8)  line 264, why all these parameters are NOT significant? Please check again!!!!

“Table 1. Agronomic attributes of Jalapeño pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) crop with nSe application.”

The values of column “FWAP and FWR” please check I think these values have significant???

Line 305 in Table 2.” Components of the fruit quality of Jalapeño pepper fruits. “ please values of pH can not statistically analyzed, these values are not real  but – log???

Line 314: “Figure 5.

please check, the protein values in fruits decreased by increasing applied doses of nano-Se????

(9) why you did not measure the Capsaicin content?

Line 379: Figure 7. Se concentration in fruits, please check these are high?

(10) Discussion, please this section needs more efforts to analyze why you got these results? are these results in agreement or disagreement with others? For all studied parameters

This section is very poor needs more justification, evaluation, comparison, etc.

(11) Conclusion, not acceptable please, try to present your results and its importance!!!

I think this MS needs Major revision!!

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

In the introduction, it is necessary to reveal more fully and in detail the role of Se for plants and its functions (in detail). Give examples for other works. In addition, it is no secret that commercial Se drugs are available. It is necessary to prove the scientific and practical novelty of your research.

 Instead of photos in "Figure 1", it is desirable to give a processing scheme in a schematic representation.

 How was the uniformity of selenium particles in solution controlled during treatment?

 Biomolecules? It is possible to say more precisely what it is about.

 Selenium content in leaves, roots, soil? What is his material balance?

 Does selenium affect the spicy taste of pepper (capsaicin content)?

 Table 1. The accuracy of the difference?

 Figure 2 hard-to-read figure captions

 139: standard OR standart?

 264: Capsicum annuum L – in italic

 Fig. 3. The yield is given in g per plant, and how many fruits per plant?

 And if treated with a SUSPENSION (and not a solution) of 60 mg / l, have you tried?

 Why are the values of most of the measured parameters lowered when treated with a suspension of 30 mg/l?

 Why did the concentration of nSe 30 mg*L-1 negatively affect the yield, plant height, FWR and photosynthetic activity?

 Figure 7. Why is the Se content in plant tissues in the nSe 30 mg*L-1 variant less than in the nSe 15 and 45 mg*L-1 treated variants?

 Fig. 4. Pigment content at what point?

 There is no distinct change in the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids.

 Table 3. An increase in the concentration of flavonoids may indicate oxidative stress. This hypothesis correlates with other data. For example, photosynthetic activity, yield, plant height, catalase activity.

 There are no significant changes in many parameters (length, diameter, chlorophylls, growth characteristics, pH (with a single drop), catalase, ...).

 An increase in the content of antioxidant compounds in fruits is a reaction to stress caused by treatment with nanoselene particles.

 435-437: An increase in antioxidant concentrations may be induced by oxidative stress. Actually, that is why antioxidants accumulate in the plant.

 What is the reason for the non-proportional increase in the selenium content in fruits relative to the processed concentration?

 How did the changes in the leaves occur during the treatments?

 In general, poorly correlated results were obtained. In my opinion, the work reflects to a greater extent the negative impact of certain concentrations of nSe on the growth and development of peppers.

 P.S. How much jalapeno does a person need to eat per day to fulfill the daily norm of the body's selenium needs?

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 3

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Many thanks for your corrections, still few comments, please

Introduction section:

Please lines 35 – 71 one paragraph; lines 72-85 one more, and the last one from lines 86 – 92

2.1. Plant Material and Growth Conditions

Please change into 2.1. Plant Materials and Growth Conditions

Table 1 again, please check again the LSD, the values from 203 to 276

I think again, there is a significant, please

I think it is better to add to all Tables the ± SD, you will make sure that your statistical analyses will be more acceptable, please

Thanks again and good luck

Author Response

Dear reviewer, tank you for your coments

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors answered the reviewers' questions and made appropriate changes and corrections to the manuscript. The article can be published in the current edition.

Author Response

Dear reviewer, thank you for your comments on the manuscript

Author Response File: Author Response.docx