Generational effects of biosynthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles on bitter gourd growth and phytochemistry

• The biosynthesize TiO 2 nanoparticles increased plant growth, fruit yield and phytomedicinal chemicals in bitter gourd. • Occurrence of generational transmission of TiO 2 NPs validated through microscopy analysis. • TiO 2 NPs accumulation following second generation lower than the parental generation. The biosynthesis titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs) on seedling growth, yield, biochemical traits, and their transmission effect over two generations were assessed in bitter gourd cv. Megna 2. Six distinct nanoscale TiO 2 concentrations (0, 10, 20, 50, 80, and 100 mg L -1 ) were applied to bitter gourd seeds, along with a control. Various characterization methods, including dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV–visible spectroscopy, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were utilized to verify the dimensions, absorption spectra, functional molecules and surface structure of biosynthesis TiO 2 NPs. The initial study observed that the nanoparticle-treated seeds produced better germination and seedling growth (p < 0.05) than the control. Treatments with TiO 2 NPs at the seedling stage had a substantial effect on catalase and peroxidase activities. Parental TiO 2 NPs treated seeds ‘N1’ (first generation) and their progeny ‘N2’ (second generation) showed substantial changes in plant growth, fruit yield characteristics, and phytomedicine properties in bitter gourd. Concentration with 80 mg L -1 over the two generations proved to be the best treatment, which significantly increased total chlorophyll content, ascorbic acid content, TSS content, beta carotene content, charantin contents, and cucurbitacin content, respectively, compared to the control. After two generations of verification of TiO 2 NP uptake in roots and shoots, it was discovered that the quantity of particle accumulation in the next generation had decreased but significant results achieved for growth and phytomedicinal properties in bitter gourd. These findings suggested that biosynthesized TiO 2 NPs can induce stable transgenerational enhancement offering promising applications in sustainable agricultural by improving both productivity and nutritional quality in edible crop plants.