Effects of chronic elevated ozone concentration on the redox state and fruit yield of red pepper plant Capsicum baccatum.
Ozone (O3) is one of the most harmful air pollutants to crops, contributing to high losses on crop yield. Tropospheric O3 background concentrations have increased since pre-industrial times reaching phytotoxic concentrations in many world regions. Capsicum peppers are the second most traded spice in the world, but few studies concerning the O3 effects in this genus are known. Thereby, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of chronic exposure to elevated O3 concentrations in red pepper plant Capsicum baccatum L. var. pendulum with especial considerations on the leaf redox state and fruit yield. Fifteen C. baccatum plants were exposed to O3 in open-top chambers during fruit ripening (62 days) at a mean concentration of 171.6 µg/m(3) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. We found that O3 treated plants significantly decreased the amount and the total weight of fruits, which were probably a consequence of the changes on leaf oxidative status induced by ozone exposure. Ozone exposed plants increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels on the leaves, which may be associated with the observed decrease on the activity of enzymatic antioxidant defense system, as well with lower levels of polyphenol and reduced thiol groups. Enhanced ROS production and the direct O3 reaction lead to biomacromolecules damages as seen in the diminished chlorophyll content and in the elevated lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation levels. Through a correlation analysis it was possible to observe that polyphenols content was more important to protect pepper plants against oxidative damages to lipids than to proteins.
Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Istituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 Anexo, CEP 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: rafaelbortolin@hotmail.com.
Rafael Calixto
RC
Bortolin
Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Istituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 Anexo, CEP 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: ffcaregnato@gmail.com.
Fernanda Freitas
FF
Caregnato
Laboratório de Bioindicação Vegetal, Centro de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçaçves, 9500, Prédio 43411, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: 00006745@ufrgs.br.
Armando Molina
AM
Divan
Laboratório de Farmacognosia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Campus Universitário, Trindade, bloco K, CEP 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil. Electronic address: freginatto@hotmail.com.
Flávio Henrique
FH
Reginatto
Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Istituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 Anexo, CEP 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: dgelain@yahoo.com.br.
Daniel Pens
DP
Gelain
Centro de Estudos em Estresse Oxidativo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Istituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Ramiro Barcelos, 2600 Anexo, CEP 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Electronic address: 00006866@ufrgs.br.
José Cláudio Fonseca
JC
Moreira
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002212:Capsicum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D005638:Fruit / Q000502:physiology; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010126:Ozone / Q000633:toxicity*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects
D000393:Air Pollutants; D000975:Antioxidants; D002734:Chlorophyll; D010126:Ozone
Capsicum baccatum; Chlorophyll content; Crop yield; Oxidative stress; Ozone; Phenolic compounds