Natural antioxidants of plant origin against ozone damage of sensitive crops

Abstract

The increasing concentrations of ambient ozone observed during recent decades in many industrial and rural regions of the world present hazard for vegetation and human health. The problem of protection of sensitive vegetation from ozone damage could be ameliorated by replacement of sensitive biotypes with more tolerant ones as well as by application of chemical protectants. However, application of synthetic protectants will pollute the environment and agricultural production and may also have dose-dependent toxicity to vegetation. Therefore, it is urgent to develop alternative, environmentally antiozonants, for example, compounds based on natural plant antioxidants. In this article the literature has been reviewed in search of works relating to the potential of natural plant antioxidants that might serve to protect sensitive vegetation from ozone damage. The following groups of antioxidants have been discussed: (i) ascorbic acid and its derivatives, (ii) phytohormones, (iii) flavonoids, and (iv) polyamines. The physiological aspects of their protective effect on ozone-sensitive crops have been considered. Possible phytotoxicity resulting from their application in the field has been discussed. The issues needing further studies have been outlined.

Effect of ozone and antioxidants on wheat and its pathogen — Bipolaris sorokininana

“…The results shows that exogenous antioxidants application to wheat plants, inhibited growth of Bipolaris on them and enhanced synthesis of PR protein and chitinase. Our findings are in line with Didyk and Blum (2011), reported exogenous application of antioxidants limits foliar necrosis, biomass reduction and alteration of metabolism caused by O 3 stress. Querictin and tagetes leaf extract reduced foliar injury by 10-13% and 14%, respectively, in Trifolium.…”

“…Querictin and tagetes leaf extract reduced foliar injury by 10-13% and 14%, respectively, in Trifolium. subterraneum exposed to ambient O 3 level for 28 days (Didyk and Blum 2011). Ascorbic acid application reduced the visible leaf injury by 50-89% and 100% in 45-55 ppb and 0-250 ppb O 3 exposed Nicotiana tabaccum (Chen and Gallie 2005).…”

Ground-level O3 pollution and its impacts on food crops in China: A review

“…The damage caused to plants as a consequence of high O 3 concentrations could be mitigated or prevented by application of antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid, glutathione, and the antiozonant ethylenediurea (EDU) (Didyk and Blum, 2010;Feng et al, 2010;Lisko et al, 2014;Manning, 2000;Manning et al, 2011;Paoletti et al, 2009;Saitanis et al, 2015). These antioxidants and EDU have been extensively used in USA and many European countries to protect crop yield loss from ambient ozone.…”

The effect of tropospheric ozone on flavonoids and pigments content in common buckwheat cotyledons

“…It has been found that ozone treatment induces synthesis of flavonoids by enhancing activities of flavonoid pathway enzymes and phenylpropanoids accumulation [4,[10][11][12][13]. Elevated O 3 increased the contents of flavonoids in the leaves of birch [12,14] and maize [15].…”