THE CONTENT OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS IN VEGETATIVE ORGANS OF LAW PLANTS UNDER CONDITIONS OF URBANIZED ENVIRONMENT

Background. The study of the total content of phenolic compounds in the vegetative organs of lawn plants growing in areas with different levels of environmental pollution makes it possible to detect shifts in physiological and biochemical processes during plant ontogenesis in a changing environment, to establish the mechanisms of their ecological stability and to reveal the possibilities of regulating the conditions for creating high-quality lawn coverings. Materials and methods. Lawn plants (Trifolium repens L. and Poa pratensis L.) were studied in three age states: virginal (v), middle-aged generative (g2), and subsenile (ss). Samples taken in clean, moderately polluted and polluted areas of the city of Yoshkar-Ola of the Republic of Mari El were analyzed. The total content of phenolic compounds in plant objects was determined by the photocolorimetric method using the Folin – Denisov reagent. Results. In the vegetative organs of lawn plants (Trifolium repens, Poa pratensis) growing in areas with different levels of environmental pollution, the total content of phenolic compounds was determined. The increase in environmental pollution caused an increase in the content of phenolic compounds in the leaves and roots of lawn plants. In the leaves of T. repens and P. pratensis, this parameter increased from virginal to generative state, followed by a decrease in the subsenile state in all study zones. In the roots of lawn plants growing in areas with different anthropogenic load, a different picture was observed, that is, there was a gradual increase in the content of phenolic compounds from virginal to subsenial plants. In general, a higher content of phenols in vegetative organs was characteristic of individuals of creeping clover in comparison with individuals of meadow bluegrass. Conclusions. The total content of phenolic compounds in the vegetative organs of lawn plants is influenced by species characteristics, ontogenetic state, as well as the state of environmental conditions. An increased content of phenols was observed in the leaves of virginal and generative individuals of the studied lawn plants in all habitats, while in subsenile individuals of creeping clover and meadow bluegrass, on the contrary, indicators in the roots were higher than in the leaves. As the pollution of the environment increased, an increase in the content of phenolic compounds in the vegetative organs of lawn plants was observed, which, in turn, contributes to an increase in the resistance of the species under unfavorable and stressful environmental conditions. Since phenols, being components of the antioxidant system, play an important role as protective barriers against negative environmental factors.