Phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activity in plants growing under heavy metal stress

摘要: as a consequence of industrial development, the environment is increasingly polluted with heavy met - als.�Plantspossesshomeostaticmechanismsthatallowthemtokeepcorrectconcentrationsofessential� metalionsincellularcompartmentsandtominimizethedamagingeffectsofanexcessofnonessential� ones. one their adverse effects on plants generation harmful active oxygen species, leading to oxidativestress.�Besidesthewell-studiedantioxidantsystemsconsistingoflow-molecularantioxidantsand� specific enzymes, recent works have begun highlight potential role flavonoids, phenylopropanoids andphenolicacidsaseffectiveantioxidants.� Duringheavymetalstressphenoliccompoundscanactas� metalchelatorsandontheotherhandphenolicscandirectlyscavengemolecularspeciesofactiveoxygen.�� phenolics, especially flavonoids and phenylopropanoids, are oxidized by peroxidase, act in h 2 O scavenging, phenolic/asc/poX system. antioxidant action resides mainly chemical struc