Purpose. To establish the biochemical composition of the above ground part of Serratula coronata L. (Crowned saw-wort) for introduction in Central Polissia of Ukraine. Methods. The object of research was the plants of S. coronata from the collection of the Botanical garden of Zhytomyr National Agroecological University. Plant raw material was evaluated in the flowering phase in the biochemical laboratory of the Department of Cultural Flora of the M. M. Hryshko National Botanic Gardens of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine according to the relevant methods during 2014–2016. Results. The results of the study of phytochemical features of S. coronata under conditions of introduction in the Central Polissia of Ukraine in the flowering phase are given. Quantitative content of raw material in dry matter, total sugars, carotene, ascorbic acid, tannins, fats, free acids, macroelements of phosphorus, calcium and trace elements of iron, copper, zinc, manganese was revealed. Conclusions. The biochemical composition of the above ground part of S. coronata was determined for the first time in the conditions of introduction in Central Polissia of Ukraine. The peculiarities of the dependence of the content of biochemical compounds and macroelements on age characteristics of plants were determined. Plants of S. coronata of the third year of life were distinguished by the highest content of ascorbic acid, carotene and dry matter; two-year – organic acids, phosphorus, ash, common sugars; the fourth year of life – the content of oil and calcium. Significant amounts of vitamin C and iron were found in the raw material. The obtained results testify to the prospect of further study of the pharmacological properties of S. coronata in order to obtain new food products, bio-additives and phytopreparations enriched with biologically active substances and essential for human life.

Purpose. To investigate special aspects of accumulation of inorganic elements including heavy metals in seeds of white and black mustard to be grown for obtaining drugs. Methods. Field experiments, microwave digestion, ICP-MS and statistical analysis. Results. The content of inorganic elements including heavy metals was determined in the seeds of white and black mustard grown in Kiev Oblast. It was revealed that during the growing season plants of white mustard were able to accumulate such elements as aluminum, barium, strontium, zinc in seeds in concentrations that exceed their content in black mustard seeds, while compounds of calcium, cesium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium in a greater degree were accumulated in black mustard seeds. Conclusions. As legal and regulatory documents for important chemical elements don’t contain the maximum permissible limits of their content in medicinal plants, it would make sense to launch a comprehensive research with the involvement of specia­lists of relevant profiles in order to establish such a gradation. Plants of white and black mustard in Kiev Oblast have accumulated high levels of such metals as Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Sr, Zn that exceed the known limits of accumulation, indicating a partial contamination of soils in the region. Consequently, these plants can be used for phytoremediation of soils. Considering the fact that in the pharmaceutical practice refined mustard seed oil is used, revealed alterations of metal accumulation in seeds will not affect the quality of the final drugs. According to the research results, white and black mustard is promising for cultivation in Kiev Oblast with a view to obtain raw material that can be processed into drugs.