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Essential oil quality, quantity, and antioxidant capacity of foliar fertilizedMatricaria recutitaL., grown on industrially polluted with cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) soil were studied. The polluted field is near the waste depository of ferrous metallurgical combine “Kremikovci”. Content of Cd and Pb in the soil exceeded permissible concentrations 4.6 and 2.0 times, respectively. The presence of high levels of heavy metals in the soil resulted in retained plant growth. InM. recutitagrown on industrially polluted soil, a decrease of root and shoot dry biomass and reduction of number of lateral steams was observed. Otherwise, the number and biomass of flowers per plant increased. Antioxidant defense in the foliar fertilized plants grown on industrially polluted soil could due mainly to increased levels of peroxidases with substrates ascorbate, glutathione, guaiacol, and hydrogen peroxide. Enhanced levels of Cd and Pb in soil did not influence essential oil yield and quality of chamomile. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris L.) plants grown on non-polluted and polluted with Cd and Pb soils were analyzed with reference to the heavy metal effects on antioxidant metabolites and enzymes as well as boiactive compounds in the above-ground plant parts. Plants responded to the exposure to heavy metals with a decrease in the levels of malondialdehyde, hydrogene peroxide (in shoots), ascorbate, glutathione and lipid soluble antioxidants, expressed as a-tocopherol (in shoots), and an increase in the content of total phenols in fruits. The total antioxidant activity was stimulated only in shoots of stressed plants. Antioxidant defense against heavy metal accumulation was based mainly on the increased activities of catalase and three peroxidases (guaiacol peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase) in fruits and shoots of Tribulus terrestris. Catalase and peroxidases were found to act together in scavenging hydrogen peroxide. The functional activity of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle in plants grown under the experimental conditions was not effective enough. Despite the routine concentration decreased due to heavy metal pollution, the content of furostanol saponins protodioscin and prototribestin was significantly higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]