Activities of antioxidant system components and polyphenol oxidase in ontogeny of lawn grasses under megapolis conditions

The activities of antioxidants enzymes (peroxidase (POX) and catalase (CAT)), the contents of non-enzymatic antioxidants (vitamin C, carotenoids), and the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were studied in vegetative organs of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and meadow-fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) growing under city conditions. The plants of three ages (virginal (V), generative (G), and subsenyl (SS)) were analyzed. The highest POX and PPO activities were characteristic of G plants, whereas CAT was most active in V plants. The content of low-molecular-weight antioxidants depended on species specificity and developmental stage and also on environment pollution. The content of ascorbate (vitamin C) declined linearly with plant development. Medium pollution also reduced the ascorbate content in tested plant leaves and roots. In contrast, the content of carotenoids increased with the increased activity of anthropogenic factors. The highest content of the pigments was in G plants. At all developmental stages and in all habitats, meadow-fescue (tolerant species) was characterized by the lower content of studied compounds than red clover (sensitive species). Thus, anthropogenic medium pollution resulted in the peroxide group accumulation, POX and PPO activation, carotenoid accumulation, and the ascorbate content decline in the vegetative tissues during the entire ontogeny of tolerant and sensitive lawn plants.