Research Journal of Recent Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2277 - 2502
Vol. 1(ISC-2011), 329-332 (2012)
Res.J.Recent.Sci.

Short Communication

Foliar Response of Two Species of Cassia to Heavy
Air Pollution Load at Indore City, India
Tiwari Shweta
Department of Botany P.M.B. Gujarati Science College, Indore, INDIA

Available online at: www.isca.in
(Received 18th November 2011, revised 31st December 2011, accepted 24th January 2012)

Abstract
Plants are constantly exposed to air, they absorb, accumulate and integrate pollutants confining on their foliar surfaces and show
specific response too. The use of plants as monitors of air pollution has long been established, as plants are the initial acceptors of
air pollution. Present study was carried out to find out the effect of air pollutants on morphology, physiology and biochemistry of
Cassia siamea Lamk. and Cassia Glauca Lamk growing at two different sites of Indore city viz. Scheme No. 78
(Site-I), considered as Low Polluted Area (LPA), in this area there is very low traffic frequency and industries are absent and MR10 (Site-II) which is Major Road No. 10 of Indore city. There are large number of Industries and heavy traffic frequency in this
area, so it is considered as a polluted area. The two species growing at polluted site showed reduction in size of leaf, number of
stomata and leaf biomass. Variations in biochemical parameters like chlorophyll in the leaves were found to be pollution load
dependent.
Keywords: Ethno air pollution, low polluted area (LPA), heavy polluted area (HPA), foliar morphology.

Introduction
Pollution has posed a very vital question for our survival as
we are continuously altering the environment to satisfy our
needs. Unplanned industrialization, faster means of
transportation, urbanization and ruthless exploitation of
natural resources have caused severe environmental crisis by
polluting air, water and soil. Air pollution on morphology,
physiology and biochemistry of plants. Leaf is the plant part
which is most sensitive and constantly exposed to air
pollution. The pollution indicator value of the leaf has been
studied by a large number of workers1.

Material and Methods
Indore, the biggest city and commercial capital of Madhya
Pradesh is credited to have very dense population, highest
growth rate, heavy vehicular density and many industries.
Thus having large amount of pollutants which detenovate the
quality of ambient air. Plants being constantly exposed to
polluted environment absorb and accumulate pollutants,
impinging on their leaf surface. Damaging effects of air
pollutants on plants have long been recognized and are
therefore used as indicators. Two species of Cassia viz.
Cassia siamea Lamk and Cassia glauca Lamk. Were studied
for their response to a mixture of air pollutants in a heavily
polluted area of Indore city in October 2008-January 2009.
Cassia Siamea Lamk: It is evergreen tree, 10-20m. tall,
Leaves pinnately compound 10-25 cm. long, rachis
pubescent. Leaflets 6-14 pairs ovate-oblong. In Cassia

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siamea Lamk very few stomata are present on abaxial surface
and large no. of stomata are present on adaxial surface.
Cassia glauca Lamk: It is deciduous tree 5-10m. tall,
Leaves pinnately compound 10-25 cm. long rachis thinly
pubescent. Leaflets 4-9 pairs ovate to oblong, large no. of
stomata are present on abaxial surface and adaxial surface.
The study was conducted at two sampling stations of Indore
city viz. Site-1 (Scheme No. 78), considered as low polluted
area (LPA), in this area there is very low traffic frequency
and industries are absent. This area was taken as reference
site. Site-2 (MR-10) which is major road no. 10 of Indore
city, 8.71 km. long, runs from Vijay Nagar via Sukhliya to
Sanwer and joins Ujjain City road, taken as a polluted site
due to large number of Industries (textiles and fabrics,
pharmaceutical Industry, steel re- rolling mills, fertilizer and
Chemical Industry etc.). Heavy traffic frequency in this area
further added to the pollution load.
Leaf Samples were collected from both the sampling station
during study period in polybags from the height of 3-4 meter,
kept in cool kit and brought to the laboratory. Fresh and dry
weight of the samples was recorded with the help of digital
pan balance (Keroy, K-200). The leaf area was measured by
planimeter. Number and size of stomata were measured with
the help ocular and stage micrometer and stomatal index was
calculated as per Salisbury. The dust deposition of leaf
surface was calculated by dry technique of Das and
pattanayak, pH and conductivity of leaf extract was recorded
with the help of digital pH meter and conductivity meter.

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Research Journal of Recent Sciences ____________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277 - 2502
Vol. 1(ISC-2011), 329-332 (2012)
Res.J.Recent.Sci

Chlorophyll and carotenoid content were estimated following
Arnon (1949) and Duxbury and Yentsc (1956) respectively.

Results and Discussion
The present study on two species of Cassia growing at two
different sites in Indore city indicates that air pollution causes
significant changes in foliar morphology.
Considerable reduction in fresh and dry weight of leaf was
observed in both the species. More reduction in dry weight of
leaf was recorded in Cassia glauca Lamk. Than in Cassia
siamea Lamk. at polluted site. Marked reduction in leaf area,
L/B ratio and L/D ratio was recorded in Cassia glauca Lamk
than Cassia siamea Lamk. Similar Reduction in leaf area of
Cassia siamea, Azadirachta indica and Dalbergia sissoo due
to SPM has been reported by2 Size of stomata and stomatal
index was found to be reduced in both the species growing at
polluted site. More reduction is stomatal size and index was
observed in Cassia glauca than in Cassia siamea. Reduction
in stomatal size due to air pollution5. Low stomatal frequency
has been observed6,1 in response to polluted air.
Heavy dust deposition was observed in both the plant species
at polluted site. Maximum dust deposition was found in
Cassia siamea Lamk. Deleterious effect of dust on the
morphology of leaves as expressed by the reduction is size,

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necrosis, damaged leaf margin and change of colour. 7 PH of
leaf wash and leaf extract was found to be acidic in both the
species at polluted site. Conductivity of Leaf wash and
extract was more at polluted site.
The result clearly indicated entry of noxious gases like SOx
and NOx through cuticle and stomata. Thus altering the pH
of leaf surface and that of extract, which is highly damaging
and is primary cause of reduction in chlorophyll contents.
Total chlorophyll, carotenoid content of both the species
were reduced at polluted site, maximum reduction was found
in cassia siamea Lamk. Reduction in chlorophyll contents
due to air pollutants such as SOx, NOx, and CO has been
reported by many earlier workers8,9,10 .

Conclusion
It is evident from the present study that the air pollutants
such as SPM, SOx, NOx and gl.O3 from automobile exhaust
and industries along with many other unknown pollutants are
responsible for bad air quality. These pollutants not only
affect the morphology of plants but also alter the physiology
and biochemistry. Reduction in various parameters of two
plant species studied at two sites clearly indicates the
deleterious effect of air pollution on plant health.

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Research Journal of Recent Sciences ____________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277 - 2502
Vol. 1(ISC-2011), 329-332 (2012)
Res.J.Recent.Sci
Table-1
Average fresh and dry weight of 50 leaves (gm.), L/B ratio, L/D ratio, area of leaf (cm²),
Stomatal size (μm) and stomatal index of leaves of Cassia siamea Lamk. And
Cassia glauca Lamk. Collected from two study area of Indore city in October 2008- January 2009
Cassia siamea Lamk.
Cassia glauca Lamk
S. No.
Parameter
Site-l(LPA)
Site-2(HPA)
Site-l(LPA)
Site-2(HPA)
1.

Fresh weight of Leaves

71.75±0.359 62.89±0.354 (12.35%) 50.47±0.590 43.98±0.277 (12.84%)

2.

Dry weight of Leaves

30.36±0.147 28.58±0.118 (5.86%) 17.37±0.210 15.11±0.058 (13.01%)

3.

Leaf area

1638±4.121 1088±4.005 (33.59%) 1183±8.921

688±3.631 (41.80%)

4.

L/B ratio

109±0.532

65±0.162 (32.55%)

5.

L/D ratio

6289±23.87 5079±21.56 (19.23%) 4715±20.69

3095±23.57 (34.35%)

6.

Size of stomata

100.1

72.3
(27.77%)

98.9

68.4
(30.83%)

7.

Stomatal index (abaxial surface)

32.53

20.98

28.84

19.8

8.

Stomatal index (adaxial surface)

34.19

22.53

30.18

18.35

87±0.322 (20.37% )

101±0.300

Table - 2
Dust deposition (mg/cm2), Leaf pH and Conductivity (μmhos/cm2) of leaves Cassia
siamea Lamk and Cassia glauca Lamk collected from two different areas of Indore
City in October 2008- January 2009
Cassia siamea Lamk
S. No.

Cassia glauca Lamk.

Parameters
Site-1(LPA)

Site-2(HPA)

Site-1(LPA)

Site-2(HPA)

1

Leaf Wash pH

7.5

6.0

7.4

5.9

2

Leaf Wash conductivity

68

198

55

95

3

Leaf extract – pH

7.0

5.2

6.7

6.0

4

Leaf extract-conductivity

79

122

69

192

Dalbergia sissoo as affected by dust, J. Bot. Soc. Univ.
Sagar, 41, 1-4 (2006)

Acknowledgement
Authors are thankful to Principal, P.M.B. Gujarati Science
College, and Prof. S.Nagar, Head, Department of Botany for
Providing Laboratory facility and UGC for financial
assistance.

3.

Gupta M.C. and Ghouse A.K.M., The effects of coal
smoke pollution on the leaf epidermal architecture in
solanum melongena L. Variety pusa people long,
Environmental pollution Ser. A., (4), 315-21, (1986)

4.

Salgare S.A. and throat V.B., Effect of auto - exhaust
pollution at Andheri (west) Bombay on the micro
morphology of some tress, Journal of Ecobiology, 2 (4),
267-272 (1990)

5.

Tiwari S., Syed K., Sikka J. and Joshi O. P., Air
pollution induced changes in foliar morphology of two
species of Cassia at Indore city, Journal of
Environmental Research and Development 2 (3), (2008)

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Research Journal of Recent Sciences ____________________________________________________________ ISSN 2277 - 2502
Vol. 1(ISC-2011), 329-332 (2012)
Res.J.Recent.Sci
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