THE EFFECT OF GASEOUS AIR POLLUTANTS AND ASCORBIC ACID ON CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT OF BEANS (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.)PLANT IN RIYADH CITY, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al-Muwayhi
Abstract
This study was conducted at three locations varying pollution ozone,
sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide gases in Riyadh city. The seeds of
beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were planted in the greenhouse
belonging to Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of
Science, King Saud University, where it was put three pots for each
concentration of ascorbic acid (zero, 50,200,400 mg/L) each of which
three seeds of beans, The seeds were cultivated on 20 May 2011, and
left until the completion of the growth of primary leaves, then
transferred to the study sites, i.e. King Saud University, the first
industrial city, and the cement factory. The results showed that the
concentration of gases contaminated air in the city of Riyadh was
gradually increased during the study period, reaching concentration of
ozone gas to 87 (ppb) at the cement factory site, sulfur dioxide gas to
27 (ppb) at the site of the first industrial city and the nitrogen dioxide
gas to 26 (ppb) in a cement factory. Also, the results showed that
there was a significant effect of those pollutants on carbohydrate content, where the content
of monosaccharide’s in beans leaves was ranging between 8.8 to 6.2 (mg/g) at the King Saud
University and the cement factory sites, respectively. The disaccharides content was ranging
between 24.7 to 21.1(mg/g) at University of King Saud and cement factory sites,
respectively. The polysaccharides content was ranging between 39.3 (mg/g) at King Saud
University and 34.2 (mg/g) in a factory cement sites, respectively. The study also proved that ascorbic acid (ASA) had a positive role on the metabolism of carbohydrates and plant
resistance to oxidizer ozone gas, which supports the proposed role of ascorbic acid in the
removal of toxic oxygen species, in addition to its ability to resist environmental stress
factors.
Keywords: Air pollutants, Ascorbic acid (ASA), Beans plant and Carbohydrates content.
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