Variations of Chlorophyll Content at Abies alba and Nepeta pannonica Species According to Phenophase and Harvesting Area

Abstract

Abstract Chlorophylls from plants are photosynthetic pigments. Their quantity offers valuable informations about photosynthetic activity, growing and developing of plants. Photosynthetic pigments decrease quantitatively during senescence process or in stress conditions. The present study has been realized in laboratory conditions with material harvested from spontaneous flora. The purpose of this research was the investigation of variations of chlorophyll content from samples of biological material collected from Nepeta pannonica L. and Abies alba Mill. plants, from Câmpulung Moldovenesc and Cacica areas, Suceava county, Romania. The targeted phenophases were growth and flowering. There were realized acetonic extracts from samples for spectrophotometric determinations. Obtained data were processed to estabilish chlorophyll a and b content. There were observed that at Abies alba species, from both locations, the chlorophyll a content grew during flowering phenophase, while the chlorophyll b content had little variations. At Nepeta pannonica species, the chlorophyll a and b content decreased visibly during the flowering, due to stress. Leaves of plants from this species presented a intense green color in the growing phenophase, while during flowering phenophase they had a purple or yellow coloration. Obtained results revealed a different dynamics of chlorophyll content at studied species.