Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2025

Monitoring Plant Hormones During Stress Responses
Published on: June 15, 2009
Physiological, Biochemical and Defense System Responses of Roadside Vegetation to Auto-Exhaust Pollution
Sumreen Anjum1, Mumtaz Hussain2, Mansoor Hameed2
1Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. sumreen38@gmail.com.
Abstract:
This study determined the effects of traffic pollutants on plants (Nerium oleander and Ricinus communis) growing along Faisalabad to Okara (R-1) and Okara to Lahore (R-2) roads in Pakistan. The photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and total soluble proteins of roadside vegetation were significantly lower than control plants (50 m away from road). The average decrease in photosynthetic rate of Nerium oleander and Ricinus communis was 33.90% and 27.94% along R-1 and 41.85% and 32.409% along R-2 road, respectively. The decreased photosynthesis in roadside flora resulted in higher water use efficiency and substomatal CO2 concentration. However, higher antioxidant activity and free amino acid contents were noted in roadside plants that might be due to their defensive response to traffic pollutants. N. oleander was more affected by traffic pollutants and R. communis showed more resistance. Thus, N. oleander could be used for biomonitoring and R. communis for phytoremediation of vehicular pollution.
More Related Videos
11:50Bacterial Leaf Infiltration Assay for Fine Characterization of Plant Defense Responses using the Arabidopsis thaliana-Pseudomonas syringae Pathosystem
Published on: October 1, 2015
14:55Evaluating the Effect of Roadside Parking on a Dual-Direction Urban Street
Published on: January 20, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores
Bioremediation
Responses to Drought and Flooding
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Toxic Reactions: Overview
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
Stress Response System
Alarm stage
In the alarm stage, the body's...