Abstract: | In wheat seedlings (Triticum aestivum L. cv. 2329) oxidative stress caused by UV-B radiation led to lipid peroxidation of thylakoid membrane; it was expressed in term of malondialdehyde (MDA) formation. The peroxidation of lipids of thylakoid membrane in isolated chloroplasts was prevented when flavonoids quercetin and rutin were supplied into the incubation medium. The activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase increased during the first hours of UV-B exposure. A comparative study of UV-B and temperature effects showed different profiles of the antioxidant enzymes and MDA, suggesting that these two stresses have distinct sites of action. In addition to quantitative increase in flavonoids, qualitative change in flavonoid composition was also marked during UV-B stress, and a new peak at 330 nm was found as compared to control. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |