INFLUENCE OF FLUORIDE CONTAMINATION ON THE GROWTH AND BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF CALENDULA OFFICINALIS L., BORAGO OFFICINALIS L. AND MENTHA PIPERITA L.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31861/biosystems2026.01.082Keywords:
fluorides, contaminated, medicinal plants, concentration, growth parametersAbstract
This paper presents the results of a study into the effects of fluoride contamination on the growth and biochemical parameters of certain medicinal plants. The experiment analysed the effect of different concentrations of sodium fluoride in the soil on the dynamics of growth parameters, the content of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls a and b), as well as the fresh and dry weight of the studied species. Based on the morphometric data obtained, the growth index of the root system and the above-ground parts of the plants was calculated. Species-specific differences in the response of the studied species to fluoride stress were established. Thus, in Calendula officinalis L., the changes were insignificant and remained close to control values, whereas in Borago officinalis L., moderate stimulation of growth was observed in both roots and shoots. The highest values of the root and shoot growth indices were recorded in Mentha piperita L. An analysis of photosynthetic pigment content revealed a significant decrease in the concentration of chlorophylls a and b in C. officinalis and B. officinalis at all tested concentrations of sodium fluoride compared to the control. In contrast, a possible compensatory reorganisation of the pigment apparatus was observed in M. piperita: chlorophyll a content increased rapidly against a background of a twofold decrease in chlorophyll b levels, which led to a sharp shift in their ratio towards a predominance of the a form. It has been established that soil contamination with NaF at moderate concentrations stimulates the fresh weight gain of C. officinalis and B. officinalis, whilst no significant changes in their dry weight were observed. The results obtained expand our understanding of the species-specificity of responses and the tolerance of medicinal plants to fluoride contamination and can be used to assess their resilience under conditions of anthropogenic stress.
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