Trace elements in the fruits of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia

Concentrations of selected trace elements (Ag, Al, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn) in the date palm fruits and their washing fluids were investigated in two locations of Jeddah with different environmental pressure (residential vs urban). Factor Analysis with varimax rotation showed the role of potential sources of the investigate elements. The levels of these elements were found to be greater in the urban site than in the residential one, increasing with the harvest time. The present study has shown that date palm has a strong potential for environmental biomonitoring. However, attention to the safety of dates for human consumption should be payed, in particular to the harvesting time, the environmental pressure of the area with special attention to Ag and Cd, and the possible occurrence of dust storms

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Cultivar-Specific Response to O3: Patterns of Biochemical and Plant Growth Characteristics

The sensitivity of four radish (Raphanus sativus L.) cultivars, Baladey “B,” Cherry Belle “CB,” Prinz Rotin “PR,” and Scarlet Globe “SG” to 80 nL L1 ozone is assessed in fumigation chambers. O3 visible injury symptoms appears as brown spots to chlorotic areas, but the response is cultivarspecific. O3 induces higher content of H2O2 and lipid peroxidation (it is estimated as malondialdehyde (MDA) content), leading to drastic visible injury symptoms in B compared to the other cultivars. Root and shoot dry weights, Chlorophyll a, net photosynthetic rates, and chlorophyll fluorescence are reduced in B to a greater extent than the other cultivars. On the other hand, stomatal conductance increased in B and CB (þ52 and þ24%, respectively) due to O3-exposure, while it was decreased by 35% in PR and SG. Exposure to O3 generates oxidative stress leading to stimulation of antioxidative defense systems. SG shows the highest induction of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione reductase (GR), while B had the lowest activities of these antioxidative enzymes, but had the highest H2O2 and MDA content. The higher accumulation of H2O2, poor induction of antioxidative enzymes, and increased stomatal conductance led to severe visible injury and drastic inhibition in photosynthetic rates and growth in B than other cultivars depicting its higher sensitivity toward O3. Therefore, it can be used as a bioindicator for O3 pollution worldwide