9 research outputs found
Production objectives and breeding practices of urban goat and sheep keepers in West Africa: regional analysis and implications for the development of supportive breeding programs
Modification Of Molecular Packing: Crystal Structures And Magnetic Properties Of Monomeric And Dimeric Difluorophenyl-1,2,3,5-dithiadiazolyl Radicals
Tea plants and air pollutants
The major tea-growing regions of the world are located in Asia, where
tea contributes substantially to their economy. It is known how the rapid development
of the economy, twinned to global change, has created in many districts of
industrialized countries critical levels of air pollution. Abiotic stresses may affect
plant growth, quality, and distribution. This is particularly important for specialty
crops such as tea, where functional quality is determined by phytonutrients, secondary
metabolites, and bioactive components that play a pivotal role in plant defense
and acclimation/adaptation/resilience to environmental stresses. Stress conditions
such as drought, heat, light extremes, salinity, and toxic metals in the substrate have
been the subject of intense researches, and the sensitivity of tea plants to these constraints
has been tested by the scientific community through field and controlled
experiments. Tea plants present high leaf surface areas, and exchange with atmosphere
is elevated. However, little is known about the way air pollution affects tea
responses and how this species is able to counteract this insult. In this chapter, the
existing literature reporting the effects of air pollution on the tea plant is reviewed
with the aim to examine physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses found
in this species. To the best of our knowledge, only the impacts of few air pollutants
have been somehow assessed on tea plants, and several responses are still poorly
understood. Thus, more research on the impact of air pollution on tea plants is
needed. This is of pivotal importance also because commercial tea samples may
contain significant quantities of contaminants, which may be transferred to the consumer.
No doubt that health national/international bodies should pay more attention
to this issue and adopt safe standards of pollution content in the commodities of one
of the world’s most popular beverages, highly appreciated also by young people
because of its pleasant aroma, flavor, and potential positive effect on mood