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We studied changes in the concentrations of ascorbate and glutathione, composition of soluble phenolics, and activity of oxalate oxidase in 75-day-old Serbian spruce plants after exposure to 5 μM and 50μM cadmium for 6-48 h. The presence of OxOxactivity in a conifer species is here demonstrated for the first time. Both Cd concentrations induced a decrease of OxOxactivity in treated plants in comparison with the control at all sampling dates. The concentrations of reduced glutathione, its oxidized form, and reduced ascorbate in the plants decreased during 48-h treatment with cadmium. Among simple phenolics, only catechin increased significantly during Cd treatment.

Picea omorika (Panč) Purkyně (Serbian spruce) is a Balkan endemic coniferous species. We studied soluble peroxidase, catalase, polyphenol oxidase, and superoxide-dismutase activity in the needles of five omorika lines grown in a generative seed orchard. The peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase isoenzyme patterns were also investigated. Activity of the studied enzymes varied among different lines. The highest activity of peroxidase, catalase and polyphenol oxidase was found in the A3 ("borealis") and B5 ("semidichotomous") lines. Four acidic and two basic peroxidase isoenzymes and one polyphenol oxidase isoenzyme were detected. There was no variation in either the peroxidase or the polyphenol oxidase isoenzyme pattern among the different lines.