LEAF PIGMENTS AS HEAVY METAL STRESS INDICATORS

Georgeta Ciobanu, Cristina Babeanu

KEY WORDS: heavy metals, chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanin

ABSTRACT

We’ve investigated the relative changes in anthocyanins, Chl a and b, and total carotenoids amount in leaves of wheat seedlings grown in laboratory conditions in two different instances: first, when wheat cariopses germinated and the young seedlings grew in excess of three different essential heavy metals (Cu, Zn and Fe). Second, we’ve monitored the time course of pigments accumulation in plants grown on media with different amounts of copper excess. We’ve concluded that leaf pigments dynamics were strongly affected in conditions of heavy metal stress.