Uptake, translocation and metabolism of anthracene in bush bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.)

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The roots of bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants growing in nutrient solution were exposed to [side ring‐U‐14C]anthracene (0.01 mg L−1 solution) during flowering and seed production. At harvest, 60% of the total 14C dose was in the roots, 3% in the stems, 3% in the leaves, 0.1% in the pods, 17% in the nutrient solution and 16% unaccounted for. More than 90% of the anthracene (75 mg/plant) was metabolized over the 30‐d exposure period. The results suggest that most of the metabolism occurred in the plant tissues. At harvest, 8.7% of the anthracene dose was found (unmetabolized) in the roots, 1.5% in the nutrient solution, 0.53% in the stems and 0.03% in the leaves. Quantities of the parent compound were too small to detect in the pods and seeds. The remainder of the [14C]anthracene taken up by the plants was metabolized to polar metabolites (29%) and nonpolar metabolites (18%) or structurally incorporated into compounds that were not extracted (44%).