ACTA BIOLOGICA CRACOVIENSIA Series Botanica 47/2: 157-164, 2005

Effects of Some Heavy Metalson Content of Chlorophyll, Proline and Some Antioxidant Chemicals in Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Seedlings

Fikriye Kirbag Zengin*, Omer Munzuroglu

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Firat University, Elazig 23119, Turkey

e-mail: fzengin@firat.edu.tr

Received January 6, 2005; revision accepted September 30, 2005

The effects of lead, copper, cadmium and mercury on the content of chlorophyll, proline, retinol, α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid were investigated in 17-day-old bean seedlings (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in Hoagland solution spiked with various concentrations of Pb, Cu, Cd and Hg. Control and heavy metal-treated plants were grown for 10 days in Hoagland solution. Content of total chlorophyll (a and b), proline, retinol, -tocopherol and ascorbic acid was measured in ten-day-old primary leaves by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Total chlorophyll content declined progressively with increasing concentrations of heavy metals. A significant increase of proline, β-carotene, α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid content was detected in in primary leaves after ten-day exposure to heavy metals. The strongest effect on total chlorophyll, proline, retinol, α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid content was found in plants exposed to mercury, followed by the sequence Cd++ > Cu++ > Pb++.

Key words: Chlorophyll, heavy metal, proline, retinol, α-tocopherol, ascorbic acid.