In experiments carried out with Erasmus students, Prof. Hazem M. Kalaji of the Institute of Biology at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) and his team demonstrated for the first time in the world that photosynthesis was inhibited when plants were anaesthetised.

Preliminary studies conducted by Prof Kalaji’s team showed that after 2 hours of exposure, the anaesthetic diethyl ether significantly reduced the photosynthetic performance of the plant species tested. 

Plants treated with anaesthetics that induce a loss of their ‘consciousness’ may be ideal models for studying general anaesthesia issues and may also act as a suitable test system for humans.

The reduction in plant photosynthetic efficiency appears to have been the result of inhibition of chlorophyll accumulation. Prof Kalaji and his team plan to continue their research to clarify the mechanism of anaesthetic effects on photosynthesis and other related physiological processes.