Effect of various concentrations of copper on antioxidant enzymes activity and phenolic compounds content in leave and root of Plantago major L

Plantago species generally are grassy plants that belong to Plantaginaceae, with large lamina on the ground surfaces. Plantago major L. grows widely in Asia, Europea, Africa, and North American and contains chemical compounds such as polysaccharides, lipids, coffeic acid derivatives, flavonoids, terpenoids, ascorbic acid, benzoic acid, ferrolic acid, galactoronic acid and so on. In this study, Plantago major L. plants were cultured in several pots irrigated with hougland solutions and after 20 days, during 3 leaves stage, irrigation was continued with hougland solutions containing different concentrations of CuSO4, 0 (control), 100, 300, 500, 700 and 100µM. Antioxidant enzymes activities (catalase, peroxidase, poly phenol oxidase, ascorbate peroxidase) and phenolics content in leaves and roots were measured. The aim of the study was the effect of copper concentrations on antioxidant enzymes and phenolic compounds content in plantago major L. The result shows that by increasing concentration of copper in the medium, activity of catalse, ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidase in the root and leaves decreased significantly (0.05) in comparison with control. Polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity in roots and leaves increased, that was only significant in roots. Phenolics content increase in roots that was not significant but the decrease in leaves was significant.