No abstract

Mining is an important source of metal pollution in the environment and abandoned mines are extremely restricted habitats for plants. Some plant species growing on metalliferous soils around mine tailings and spoil-heaps are metal-tolerant and accumulate high concentrations of metals. In this investigation, we aimed to perform a research in the CMC-abandoned copper mining area in Lefke-North Cyprus to assess the recent metal pollution in soil and plant systems. We collected 16 soil samples and 25 plant species from 8 localities around the vicinity of tailing ponds. Some concentrations of metals in soil samples varied from 185 to 1023 mg kg(-1) Cu, 15.2 to 59.2 mg kg(-1) Ni, 2.3 to 73.6 mg kg(-1) Cd and metals for plants ranged from 0.135 to 283 mg kg(-1) Cu, 0.26 to 31.2 mg kg(-1) Ni, 0.143 to 277 mg kg(-1) Cd. Atriplex semibaccata, Acacia cyanophylla, Erodium spp., Inula viscosa, Juncus sp., Oxalis pes-caprea, Pistacia lentiscus, Senecio vulgaris and Tragopogon sinuatus accumulated higher concentrations. BCF for Atriplex semibaccata was found very high, for this reason this plant can tentatively be considered as a hyperaccumulator of Cu and Cd, but it needs further investigation for its potential in phytoremediation.

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, sıklıkla kullanılan tıbbi bitkilerde kurşun, kadmiyum ve okratoksin A (OTA) seviyelerinin araştırılmasıdır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Toplam 21 adet ıhlamur, papatya ve adaçayı örneği 2016 yılının bahar ve yaz aylarında İstanbul'da (Türkiye) geleneksel Pazar ve marketlerden satın alındı. Örnekler, mikrodalga parçalama yöntemi uygulanarak hazırlandı ve kurşun ve kadmiyum analizi indüktif eşleşmiş plazma optik emisyon spektrometre (ICP-OES) cihazı kullanılarak gerçekleştirildi. OTA tayini immünoafinite kolonu ile temizlemenin ardından floresan detektör donanımlı yüksek performanslı sıvı kramatografisi ile gerçekleştirildi. Bulgular: OTA sadece 1 adet papatya örneğinde düşük konsantrasyonda (0,034 µg/kg) tayin edildi. ICP-OES analizi sonuçlarına göre; ıhlamur, papatya ve adaçayı örneklerinde sırasıyla kurşun 4,125-6,487 mg/kg, 3,123-5,769 mg/kg ve 3,229-5,985 mg/kg konsantrasyon aralığında; kadmiyum 0,324-0,524 mg/kg, 0,365-0,51 ve mg/kg 0,321-0,474 mg/kg konsantrasyon aralığında bulundu. Sonuç: Tıbbi bitkilerde Pb ve OTA seviyeleri maksimum izin verilen seviyelerin altında bulunmuş olup, yüksek seviyelerde bulunan Cd seviyelerinin yapılan maruziyet değerlendirmesine göre tüketici sağlığında risk oluşturmayacağı gösterilmektedir. Bununla birlikte, tıbbi bitkilerde diğer mikotoksinler ve ağır metal seviyelerinin dikkatle izlenmesi gerektiği önerilmektedir. Anahtar kelimeler: Kurşun, kadmiyum, ochratoxin A, ıhlamur, papatya, adaçayı Objectives:The aim of this study as to determined the levels of lead, cadmium and ochratoxin A (OTA) in frequently used medicinal plants. Materials and Methods:Totally twenty-one samples of linden, chamomile and sage were obtained during the spring and summer period of the year 2016 from local markets and traditional bazaars in Istanbul, Turkey. Microwave-assisted digestion was applied for the preparation of the samples and inductively coupled plasma technique with optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for the determination of lead and cadmium. Determination of OTA was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector after immunoaffinity column clean up. Conclusion:We indicated that levels of Pb and OTA were found below the maximum permissible level whereas high levels of Cd were observed in medicinal plants, which may not pose health risk for the consumers according to the exposure assesment. However, it is suggested that other mycotoxins and heavy metal content should be carefully considered in medicinal plants.

Abiotic stresses (e.g., heavy metals, drought, cold, or combinations) induce oxidative stress with overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We have investigated the antioxidative responses of Albizia julibrissin Durazz. (silk tree, Fabaceae). Four-month-old plants grown in sand cultures were subjected to various single or sequential treatments involving exposure to cadmium (50-250 lmol L-1 Cd), lead (1000-5000 lmol L-1 Pb), chilling at 4°C (CH), or drought (DR), for a period of 7-45 days. Leaf extracts were assayed for glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione-disulfide reductase (GR), catalase (CAT), soluble proline (Pro), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and guaiacol peroxidase (GUAPX). Cd and Pb accumulation in the leaves was also measured. CAT activity decreased strongly with increasing Pb exposure and after CH. It was also found to be reduced after Cd and DR treatments. GR activity increased highly in nearly all treatments, most strongly at high Cd or Pb, after DR ? CH, and after CH followed by Cd. GUAPX and GPX showed similar trends of increase. APX activity dropped after CH, but increased after low Cd treatment and in CH ? DR sequential stresses. Massive accumulation of soluble Pro occurred after 14-21 days in highly Cd-or Pbstressed plants. CH or DR acclimation led to some alterations of antioxidative responses, particularly for CAT, GR, and APX. Our data indicate that GSH, GSHlinked redox systems, peroxidases, and Pro are possibly the more important antioxidants under severe stress.

Background and Aims:The levels of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were analyzed in frequently used herbs including ginger, liquorice, nutmeg and turmeric in Turkey. Materials and Methods:The levels of Cd and Pb in commonly used herbs were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry after a closed microwave-assisted digestion. Results: The concentration ranges for the Cd and Pb were found to be 0.25-0.78 mg/kg and 3.04-6.45 mg/kg, respectively. While Pb levels were below the maximum permissible limits, high Cd levels were detected in herbs which would not pose any health risk for consumers regarding an exposure assessment. Conclusion:It is important to implement regular monitoring of heavy metal content in herbs, including medicinal plants, to assess their potential risks to human health in consideration of the potential for multiple exposure via other sources.