Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Trace elements and activity of antioxidative enzymes in Cistus ladanifer L. growing on an abandoned mine area

  • Published:
Ecotoxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Mediterranean shrub Cistus ladanifer grows naturally in São Domingos (Portugal), an abandoned copper mine. High levels of trace elements in plants can generate oxidative stress increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The aim of this work was to evaluate and compare As, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations and the activity of the soluble and cell wall ionically bounded forms of the enzymes catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in leaves of C. ladanifer, collected in spring and summer, growing on São Domingos mine and on a non-contaminated area (Pomarão). São Domingos soils showed high total concentrations of As (2.6 g kg−1) and Pb (7.3 g kg−1) however the available fraction represented less than 1.5% of the total. C. ladanifer population from mine showed tolerance to Pb and Zn, which attain in leaves concentrations considered toxic for plants. The enzymatic activity of catalase, peroxidise and superoxide dismutase varied with plant populations and seasons, although with no particular trend, being specific to each trace element and enzyme cell localization. Catalase activity was evenly distributed between the soluble and ionically bounded forms, whereas the ionically bounded form of peroxidase predominated relatively to total activity, and the opposite was observed for superoxide dismutase. Spring and summer leaves from the two areas presented enzymatic activities in both fractions except to peroxidase soluble activities in leaves collected in summer. C. ladanifer enzymatic activity seems to be related with the co-existence of different stress factors (trace elements concentration, temperature, UV radiation and drought). The survival and growth of this species on contaminated mining soils is due to the presence of effective antioxidant enzyme-based defence systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Activation Laboratories (2006) Code 1H–Au + 48. Available in http://www.actlabs.com/methsub_code1h.htm. Accessed 21 May 2007

  • Adriano DC (2001) Trace elements in terrestrial environments: biogeochemistry, bioavailability and risk of metals. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Adriano DC, Wenzel WW, Vangronsveld J et al (2004) Role of assisted natural remediation in environmental cleanup. Geoderma 122:121–142

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alexieva V, Sergier I, Mappelli S et al (2001) The effect of drought and ultraviolet radiation on growth and stress marked in pea and wheat. Plant Cell Environ 24:1337–1344

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Batista MJ, Abreu MM, Serrano Pinto M (2004) Comportamento do arsénio (III) e (IV) em dois Litossolos e em estevas na área mineira de Neves Corvo. Rev Ciências Agrárias XXVII:291–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao X, Ma LQ, Tu C (2004) Antioxidative responses to arsenic in the arsenic-hyperaccumulator chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata L.). Environ Pollut 128:317–325

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chance B, Maehly AC (1955) Assay of catalases and peroxidases. Methods Enzymol 2:764–817

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chopin EIB, Alloway BJ (2007) Distribution and mobility of trace elements in soils and vegetation around the mining and smelting areas of tharsis, riotinto and huelva, iberian pyrite belt, SW Spain. Water Air Soil Pollut 182:245–261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury S, Panda SK (2004) Induction of oxidative stress and ultrastructural changes in moss Taxithelium nepalense (Schwaegr.) broth. under lead and arsenic phytotoxicity. Curr Sci 87:342–348

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clemens S, Bloss T, Vess C et al (2002) A transporter in the endoplasmic reticulum of Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells mediates zinc storage and differentially affects transition metal tolerance. J Biol Chem 277:18215–18221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Custódio J (1996) Sistemas de lavra na Mina de S. Domingos. In: Mineração no Baixo Alentejo. Castro Verde—Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Castro Verde (ed). Castro Verde, Portugal, pp 174–185

  • Dunand C, Tognolli M, Overney S et al (2002) Identification and characterisation of Ca2+-pectate binding peroxidases in Arabidopsis thaliana. J Plant Physiol 159(11):1165–1171

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Egert M, Mitevini M (2002) Influence of drought on some physiological parameters symptomatic for oxidative stress in leaves of chives (Allium schoenoprasum). Environ Exp Bot 48:43–49

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Freitas H, Prasad MNV, Pratas J (2004) Plant community tolerant to trace elements growing on degraded soils of São Domingos mine in the south east of Portugal: environmental implications. Environ Int 30:65–72

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gadd GM, White C (1989) Heavy metal and radionuclide accumulation and toxicity in fungi and yeasts. In: Poole RK, Gadd GM (eds) Metal–microbe interactions. IRL Press, Oxford, pp 19–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant JJ, Loake GJ (2000) Role of active oxygen intermediates and cognate redox signaling in disease resistance. Plant Physiol 124:21–29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hertwig B, Streb P, Feierabend J (1992) Light dependence of catalase synthesis and degradation in leaves and influence of interfering stress conditions. Plant Physiol 100:1547–1553

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ingham LM, Parker ML, Waldron W (1998) Peroxidase: changes in soluble and bound forms during maturation and ripening of apples. Physiol Plantarum 102:93–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kabata Pendias A, Pendias H (2001) Trace elements in soils and plants. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Khopde SM, Priyadarsini KI, Mohan H et al (2001) Characterizing the antioxidant activity of amla (Phyllanthus emblica) extract. Curr Sci 81:185–190

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larkindale J, Hall JD, Knight MR et al (2005) Heat stress phenotypes of Arabidopsis mutants implicate multiple signalling pathways in the acquisition of termotolerance. Plant Physiol 148:882–897

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay WL, Norvell WA (1978) Development of a DTPA soil test for zinc, iron, manganese and copper. Soil Sci 42:421–428

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacRae EA, Fergunson IB (1985) Changes in catalase activity and hydrogen peroxide concentration in plants in response to low temperature. Physiol Plantarum 65:51–56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McDougall GJ, Morrison IM (1995) Ionically bound and covalently bound wall peroxidases differ in their substrate specificity. Biochem Soc T 23:150S

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McGrath SP, Zhao FJ, Lombi E (2001) Plant and rhizosphere processes involved in phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils. Plant Soil 232:207–214

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mylona PV, Polidoros AN, Scandalios JG (1998) Modulation of antioxidant responses by arsenic in maize. Free Radical Bio Med 25:576–585

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Panda SK (2003) Heavy metal phytotoxicity induces oxidative stress in a moss, Taxithelium sp. Curr Sci 84:631–663

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Panda SK, Choudhury S (2005) Changes in nitrate reductase activity and oxidative stress response in the moss Politrychum commune subjected to chromium, copper and zinc phytotoxicity. Braz J Plant Physiol 17(2):191–197

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pang J, Chan GSY, Zhang J et al (2003) Physiological aspects of vertiver grass for rehabilitation in abandoned metalliferous mine wastes. Chemosphere 52:1559–1570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Penel C, Greppin H (1994) Binding of plant peroxidases to pectin in the presence of calcium. FEBS Lett 343:51–55

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter EK, Peterson PJ (1975) Arsenic accumulation by plants on mine waste (United Kingdom). Sci Total Environ 4:365–371

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Póvoas I, Barral, MF (1992) Métodos de Análise de Solos. Comunicações do Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical. Série de Ciências Agrárias N.° 10, Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisboa

  • Shah K, Kumar RG, Verma S et al (2001) Effect of cadmium on lipid peroxidation, superoxide anion generation and activities of antioxidant enzymes in growing rice seddlings. Plant Sci 161:1135–1144

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma P, Dubey RS (2005) Lead toxicity in plants. Braz J Plant Physiol 17:35–52

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh S, Sinha S, Saxena R et al (2004) Translocation of metals and its effects in the tomato plants grown on various amendments of tannery waste: evidence for involvement of antioxidants. Chemosphere 57:91–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun M, Zigman S (1977) An improved spectrophotometic assay for superoxide dismutase based on epinephrine autoxidation. Anal Biochem 90:81–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tu C, Ma LQ (2002) Effects of arsenic concentrations and forms on arsenic uptake by the hyperaccumulator ladder brake. J Environ Quality 31:641–647

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Assche F, Clijsters H (1990) Effects of metals on enzyme activity in plants. Plant Cell Environ 13:195–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verma S, Dubey RS (2003) Lead toxicity induces lipid peroxidation and alters the activities of antioxidant enzymes in growing rice plants. Plant Sci 164:645–655

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wong DWS, Whitaker JR (2003) Catalase. In: Whitaker JR, Voragen AGJ, Wong DWS (eds) Handbook of food enzymology. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 389–401

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang JR, Bao ZP, Zhang SQ (1993) The distribution and binding of Cd and Pb in plant cell. China Environ Sci 13:263–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Yruela I (2005) Copper in plants. Braz J Plant Phisiol 17:145–156

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan ZW, Jiang TJ (2003) Peroxidase. In: Whitaker JR, Voragen AGJ, Wong DWS (eds) Handbook of food enzymology. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, pp 389-401

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the help from La Sabina Lda and Departamento de Química da Universidade de Aveiro.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigação em Ciências do Ambiente e Empresariais, Instituto Superior Dom Afonso III, Convento Espírito Santo, 8100-641, Loulé, Portugal

    Erika S. Santos

  2. Unidade de Investigação de Química Ambiental, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (TULisbon), 1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal

    Maria Manuela Abreu

  3. Centro de Ecologia Funcional, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de Coimbra, 3001-355, Coimbra, Portugal

    Cristina Nabais

  4. Departamento de Química, Universidade de Aveiro, 3800-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Jorge A. Saraiva

Authors
  1. Erika S. Santos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria Manuela Abreu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cristina Nabais
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jorge A. Saraiva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erika S. Santos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Santos, E.S., Abreu, M.M., Nabais, C. et al. Trace elements and activity of antioxidative enzymes in Cistus ladanifer L. growing on an abandoned mine area. Ecotoxicology 18, 860–868 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0329-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0329-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation