title: PINUS cembra L: histo-anatomical features, antioxidant enzyme activities and heavy metal contents of leaves and long shoots.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the histo-anatomical features of the long shoots and leaves (young and mature) of Pinus cembra L.. The activity of antioxidant enzymatic systems and the content of heavy metals were also evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the histo-anatomical study, the cross-sections were performed by usual techniques. The activity of antioxidant enzymatic systems (superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase) was evaluated by spectrophotometric methods. The content of heavy metals was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cross-section through the long shoots shows many resiniferous canals and a periderm of variable thickness. The leaf has a triangular shape and only two vascular bundles in the inferior and upper levels. The highest level of superoxide dismutase activity (344.90 U/mg protein) was determined in the long shoots collected from a cembran pine in Vatra Dornei, while the highest level of peroxidase activity (7611.11 U/mg protein) was found in the leaves collected in Calimani Mountains. Cd level in all samples was under the quantification limit. Higher levels of Pb were determined in the long shoots (3 μg/g dry weight for the vegetal material collected in Vatra Dornei and 2.86 μg/g dry weight for the vegetal material collected in Calimani Mountains).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pinus cembra L. leaves show specific elements of subgenus Strobus (a triangular shape of the cross section, one single vascular bundle and two resiniferous canals). The results obtained for the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities corroborated with those obtained for the heavy metal contents indicate that antioxidant enzymes play an important role in the protection of Pinus cembra L. against exogenous stress factors.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lungu
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stănescu
authors.forename: Sabina Ioana
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Cojocaru
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ciobanu
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ivănescu
authors.forename: Anca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miron
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000494:pharmacology; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028223:Pinus; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000737:chemistry*; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007854:Lead; D010544:Peroxidases; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase