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The rutin (quercetin-3-rhamnosyl-glucoside) content of two tobacco cultivars (Nicotiana tabacum L.) which differ in their ozone-sensitivity was assayed after exposure to various rutininducing stimuli. In the growth-chamber, UV radiation in combination with white light led to the accumulation of similar amounts of rutin in both cultivars. Treatment with radical producing agents (tert-butylhydroperoxide and paraquat) also led to rutin accumulation. In this case, the rutin content was higher in the tolerant cultivar. The rutin content was also higher in the tolerant cultivar upon exposure of the plants on an out-door stand, even when the UV-part of the sun spectrum was excluded by cut-off filters. The potential role of rutin as antioxidant was tested with an ion leakage assay. Plants with relatively high rutin content were less sensitive towards paraquat-induced ion leakage than plants without rutin. Thus, the higher rutin content of the ozone-tolerant cultivar Bel B may well contribute to its tolerance against oxidative stress.