Abstract
Relevance. An important and little-studied aspect of the effects of human economic activity on medicinal plants is that in response to increased anthropogenic load, additional synthesis of secondary metabolites, especially flavonoids, is induced, which play an important role in the adaptation of plants to changing conditions. The aim of the study was to study the accumulation of flavonoids in the grass of the bitter emery collected in different agro- and urbobiogeocenoses of the Voronezh region from the point of view of anthropogenic impact. Material and methods. As part of the study, 51 samples of bitter emery grass determined the content of flavonoids in terms of rutin. All samples meet the regulatory requirements of this indicator. Results. It has been revealed that the content of flavonoids is on average 2 times higher than in samples collected in natural biocenoses of protected areas, and in raw materials collected in a number of urbobiogeocenoses - 2.7-4 times higher than in samples of controlled protected areas. This fact can be explained by the biochemical adaptation of the plant to significant oxidative stresses, in response to which the synthesis of polyphenol substances, the main representatives of which are flavonoids, is induced. At the same time, near some production enterprises and along roads with high traffic intensity, we selected samples with reduced content of flavonoids in terms of routine relative to other samples of raw materials. Conclusion. This suggests that in case of excessive toxic influence of pollutants it is also possible to suppress the antioxidant system of plants.