Variation of phenolic and pigment composition depending on soil type in three serpentinovag plant species

Albayrak, Fazilet Özlem ( Aksaray, Yazar ) ; Serpentine soils are stressful for plant growth, due to nutrient deficiencies, especially Ca, low water-holding capacity, and high levels of heavy metals and Mg. Determination of biochemical differences of plants grown in serpentine and non-serpentine soil can contribute to understanding tolerance to serpentine soil. In this study, samples of three plant species (Alyssum sibiricum Willd., Salvia absconditiflora (Montbret & Aucher ex Bentham) Greuter & Burdet and Centaurea urvillei DC. subsp. stepposa Wagenitz) were compared in terms of the composition of phenolic compounds and chloroplast pigments. Higher amounts of phenolic compounds were measured in serpentine soil-grown forms of all three species. Total soluble phenolic content, in samples grown in serpentine and non-serpentine soil, respectively, S. absconditiflora 731.8 - 161.7, C. urvillei 121.0-49.7 and A. sibiricum 50.2- 47.3 µg g-1 DW). It was determined that the amount of chlorophyll a was higher in the serpentine soil grown forms of all three species while the amount of chlorophyll b was variable. In plants grown in serpentine soil, β-carotene values are higher than non-serpentine forms. Total xanthophyl values are also parallel with β-carotene findings, but lower. The findings in the present study show that antioxidant compounds such as phenolics and carotenoids may play a role in the stress tolerance of plants growing in serpentine habitats.