Simultaneous determination of ascorbic acid (AA),
glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in
vascular plants has been achieved by capillary zone
electrophoresis. A background electrolyte containing a
phosphate buffer of pH 7 and hexadimethrin bromide for
dynamic control of electroosmotic flow was used. Separation
was performed in less than 5 min. The signal was
simultaneously monitored at 265 and 200 nm. Dehydroascorbic
acid (DHA) was determined in another aliquot of the
same plant extract upon reduction with dl-homocysteine.
Limits of detection of AA, GSH, and GSSG ranged from
0.2 to 0.8 μg mL-1, which corresponded from 0.04 to 0.16
mg per 100 g fresh weight of tomato, watermelon, and potato
leaves. Plants exposed to a high ozone concentration
(1600 μg m-3) in a laboratory fumigation system during 1,
2, 3, and 5 h showed progressive ozone-induced oxidative
stress. This could be seen as a simultaneous decrease of
the AA/(AA+DHA) and GSH/(GSH+GSSG) ratios; however,
the decline rate was higher for AA/(AA+DHA) than for GSH/(GSH+GSSG) in plants cultivated in the field, in open-top
chambers, during ca. 50 days with much lower ozone
concentrations (mean concentrations, 10 and 80 μg m-3).