Heavy Metals and 2, 4-Dinitrophenol Impact on Some Physiological and Biochemical Parameters in Capsicum Species

Abstract The accumulation of heavy metals and of pesticides in the soil have a negative impact on Capsicum chinense var. Aji Mochero and Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum Bishop's Crown species, the present work highlighting the exerted influence on the superoxid-dismutase activity, catalase and peroxidase - as enzymes implied in the removal of H2O2, of O2- radical and of ion HO- that have devastating effects on the vegetable cell, on the Krebs cycle's dehydrogenases - as main way to produce energy, respectively of the chlorophyll a, b and carotenes - as photoassimilatory pigments, but also as biologic antioxidants.

The Dynamic of some Biochemical Indicators at Species of Medicinal Plants from Areas of Suceava County, Romania, Emerged under the Mining Pollution Influence

ABSTRACT It is known the fact that the mining causes huge damages on the environment having negative biologic effects extremely severe on some groups of organisms of the food chain. The pollutants causes major damages at the level of leaves' cuticles, the vegetation reacting through irreversible modifications at the tissue's level and at substances and energy metabolism, like a riposte to the apparition of the stress induced by the ROS, stress that creates real disturbances on physiological and biochemical processes. Considering the fact that, on the one hand, the activity of oxidoreductases is strongly influenced by the presence of the pollutants factors, with direct effect on the oxidative's stress production, and on the other hand that the plants react at ROS accumulation, through self-protection and adaptability mechanisms, the aim of this study consisted in monitoring the activity of some oxidoreductases in the leaves of plantain and mint species harvested in 2015 from different mining areas of Suceava County. In parallel was determined the dehydrogenase activity of the soil, the samples being collected from the same areas subdued to anthropic pollution, using like reference swatch, samples from Putna. The obtained results signalize the accumulation of some quantities highly arisen by free radicals of oxygen at investigated species, the enzymatic activity being significantly higher in the mining plant comparatively to the control areal. The microbial dehydrogenases from the soil samples were remarked through different activities based on the types of heavy metals that pollute each harvesting area and on the deepness profile.

Morphological and Biochemical Answer of the Wheat Seeds at Treatment with 2,4-Dinitrophenol and Potassium Iodate

Oxidative stress can be regarded as an imbalance between the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the ability of a biological system to eliminate the toxic species and repair the resulting damages. Since the germinating seeds and the resulted seedlings are rich in enzymes, whereas the treatment with chemicals affects much the seed germination, producing also ROS, we evaluate here the influence of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) and potassium iodate (KIO3) on wheat germination (Triticum aestivum L.) and seedlings growth. Germination rate, the masses and heights of the 7 day old seedlings, as well as the activity of some enzymes involved in the oxidative stress such as peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase were measured seven days after the chemical treatment. The treatment of the wheat seeds with 10-5 - 10-3 M solutions of DNP resulted in a relative concentration-dependent inhibition of the germination, with a concomitant stimulation of the weight and height of viable seedlings. The Gasparom variety treated with 10-5 M KIO3 showed a slight increase in the germination rate in comparison with the control batch. The two tested substances determined a significantly modified response of the oxidative stress enzymes, especially in the seeds treated with 10-4 and 10-3 M solutions.