Absorption of UV-B to blue light radiation by leaf cuticles of selected crop plants

Plants have protective pigments absorbing destructive shortwave radiation. These pigments have been found in the epidermis and mesophyll of leaves. We studied the absorption characteristics of the leaf cuticle, the outermost part of the epidermis that is directly exposed to radiation. Adaxial leaf cuticles of apple, pear, sour cherry, strawberry, cauliflower, sugarbeet, and 13 other plant species were tested. The UV-B absorption was highest in Citrus aurantium and Citrus maxima (<3 % transmittance) and lowest in sugarbeet and peach (>64 % transmittance). The absorption maxima are at wavelenghts below 320 nm. Significant absorption was also determined at 500 nm, which correlated with cuticle thickness of the plant species (r(2)=0.72). The absorption in the range of 250 to 350 nm is caused by pigments with a high extinction coefficient. This absorption is species dependent and the patterns were designated to three different types. The highest absorption was found in evergreen species. The extraction of cuticular waxes had little effect on absorption. The specific absorption of shortwave radiation by plant cuticles is probably caused by pigments covalently bound to cut in. It is known for some plant species that cuticles can contain the phenolics p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and vanillic acid. Mixtures of these phenolics had spectra similar to cuticles. For most species absorption of shortwave radiation by the cuticle alone does not give complete protection