Exploring sustainable alternatives: Wood distillate alleviates the impact of bioplastic in basil plants

The growing interest in bioplastics and bio-based crop management products in agriculture is driven by the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. However, recent research has raised concerns about the sustainability of bioplastics due to their potential negative impact on crop growth and yield, with implications for the environment and human health. In this study, wood distillate (WD) was evaluated as a natural enhancer of plant growth and defence system to mitigate the negative impact of a starch-based bioplastic on basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) plants. The study analyzed physiological and biochemical changes in basil plants subjected for 35 days to single or combined treatments of WD and bioplastic by measuring biomarkers of healthy growth, such as soluble proteins, sugars, vitamin C, and malondialdehyde (MDA). The results showed that WD promoted basil development, whereas the presence of bioplastic hindered it. Interestingly, WD did not affect sugars but increased vitamin C by 12 %, which is considered a positive effect as changes in sugar levels could indicate plant stress. In contrast, bioplastic resulted in reduced sugars (-41 %) and increased (+17 %) MDA level, while vitamin C content remained unchanged. However, when WD was added to plants grown with bioplastic, it elevated the levels of all examined parameters, except for sugars and vitamin C, which experienced reductions (-66 % and 33 %, respectively). Intriguingly, despite this reduction, the observed direct correlation between sugar and vitamin C contents was maintained, indicating that the decrease in sugar content may have reached a critical threshold. This study suggests that the use of WD has the potential to alleviate the adverse effects of bioplastic on basil growth and development and highlights the importance of adopting sustainable practices in agriculture, as well as the need for a critical assessment of the environmental impact of new technologies and products.