Air pollution effects on the activity of antioxidant enzymes in Nerium oleander and Robinia pseudo acacia plants in Tehran

The air pollution effects on the activity of antioxidant enzymes were investigated on Nerium oleander and Robinia pseudo acacia in Tehran. Considering the information obtained from the Department of the Environment of Iran, Sorkh Hesar Park as well as South Azadi were selected as two sampling sites representing the unpolluted and polluted area respectively. A number of plant leave samples were collected from both sampling sites simultaneously. The activity of plant enzymes including peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase was investigated using spectrophotometric methods. A higher level of peroxidase and catalase enzymes were measured in both plant samples collected from polluted area. However, this higher level was only statistically significant for the activity of peroxidase enzyme in Robinia pseudo acacia plants compare of to the control group [p<0.05]. The lower level of ascorbate peroxidase was observed in Nerium oleander plant leaves collected from the contaminated sampling site [p<0.05], but though, the activity of this enzyme in Robinia pseudo acacia did not change significantly. The overall plant injury symptoms found in this study demonstrated that both Nerium oleander and Robinia pseudo acacia have a potential to be considered as effective bioindicators to reflect the environmental air quality in polluted areas

Identification of chemical compounds in essential oil of Zeravschania membrancea[Boiss.] M.Pimenov

One of the natural products in plants is essential oil. Their odor, components and properties are depended on factors such as genetics, climate, habitat and so on. In plant families, Apiaceae is rich in this biochemical group which has different effects in traditional and novel medicine. Comparison of essential oil of two endemic plant of Iran from genus Zeravschania. Zeravschania membranacea [Boiss.] M. Pimenov was collected from Zanjan province in July 2003. The essential oil of powdered aerial parts of plant was prepared by hydro distillation which was about 0.1% [v/w] with yellow color and an intense odor. The essential oil was analyzed with GC/MS on DB-1 column. Thirty five out of forty eamponents, comprising 83.25% of total oil were identified. 44.64% were mono terpenes [15.19% oxygenated, 29.25% hydrocarbons], 7% sesquiterpenes, 7.8% phenyl propanoids and 22.81% nonterpenic compounds. The major components of the above fragments were alpha-Terpenyl acetate [6.6%], Carvacrol [5.95%], Thymol [4.76%], alpha-Ocimene Y [4.08%], beta-Bisabolen [3.24%], Trans-methyl iso Eugenol [7.74%], Thymohydroquinone dimethyl ether [16.7%]. Because of two different habitats and climates for growing Z. membranacea [sandy hill] and Z. pastinacifolia [rocky and scree steep slopes], there are some difference between content of essential oil in them