Biochemical and Physiological Effects of Some Organic and Inorganic Chemical Agents in Capsicum spp.

Abstract

Cultivation of vegetables is expected to increase in order to meet the demands of the expanding populations of the globe. Meanwhile, anthropic activities increase the concentrations of various chemical compounds in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. For productivity and food safety reasons, assessments of effects of pesticides and metals on crops should be performed. In the current paper, the presence of some heavy metals and a pesticide compound in the substrate altered the levels of some Krebs cycle enzymes activities in pepper plants cultivated in controlled conditions. The photosynthetic apparatus of the same plants appeared relatively unaffected, while the potential/actual soil dehydrogenases ratios were increased in all treatments.