THE EFFECT OF ELEVATED CADMIUM CONCENTRATIONS ON THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF LEMON BALM

Lemon balm is a plant widely used today due to its various beneficial effects on human health, with one of its main effects being antioxidant activity. As soil contamination with heavy metals has become increasingly common in recent years, the aim of this study is to examine how increasing cadmium concentrations in a pot experiment affect the antioxidant activity of lemon balm, assessed using ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays. Lemon balm extraction was performed using 70% methanol. A slight increase in antioxidant activity analyzed with CUPRAC test was observed at lower Cd concentrations in the soil, and for ABTS there is no difference between these samples. However, at 20 mg/kg Cd in the soil, antioxidant activity decreased compared to the reference unit by 15%, 12%, and 6%, as determined by the ABTS, FRAP, and CUPRAC tests, respectively.