Student:	Kamil Ozturk
Supervisor:	Prof. Dr. Asım KADIOGLU
Department:	Biyoloji
Institution:	Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences
University:	Karadeniz Technical University Turkey

Title of the Thesis:	INVESTIGATION OF ADAPTATION OF THERMOPHILIC HELIOTROPIUM THERMOPHILUM PLANT TO LABORATORY CONDITIONS
Level:	M.Sc.
Acceptance Date:	19/9/2018
Number of Pages:	78
Registration Number:	i3409

Summary:

In this study, the adaptation of Heliotropium thermophilum, an endemic and

thermophilic flowering plant, to laboratory conditions has been investigated. The H.

thermophilum plant is a species that can survive in a geothermal field with a soil

temperature of 55 , with plants growing at high temperatures being a rare occurrence.

No research has been found on this plant in the literature under laboratory conditions. H.

thermophilum plants were grown under controlled laboratory conditions under with plant

oC in the laboratory were named as control group while the plants growing at 60 were

called as experimental group. Leaf water potential, cell membrane stability, leaf dry

weight, lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, total chlorophyll, total carotenoid, total

phenol, total flavonoid, total anthocyanin, proline and total soluble sugar contents were

measured in the leaves of control and experimental group plants. According to the data

obtained from these measurements and observations, H. thermophilum plants were found

not to experience significant stress in high temperature environment. In conclusion, this

study showed that H. thermophilum plant was highly resistant to high temperature under

optimized laboratory conditions.