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.