Effect of urban pollution on 4-coumarate: CoA ligase and flavonoid accumulation in Berberis thunbergii

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds commonly found in plants and they play an important role in stress tolerance. They have the capacity to chelate heavy metals andscavenge free radicals. Urban pollution causes oxidative stress in plants and flavonoids may protect cells against the negative effect of free radicals. In this study levels of anthocyanins andflavonols and4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL) activity were determinedin Berberis thunbergii (DC.) plants grown in pollutedandresid ential areas in the city of Poznań. The results showedsignificantly higher accumulation of anthocyanins andstimulation of 4CL activity in plants from the contaminatedsites in comparison to the control plants. Probably the activation of the phenylpropanoidpathway was a response to stress caused by urban pollution.