VARIABILITY OF THE CONTENT OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS IN THE VEGETATIVE ORGANS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ERICACEAE JUSS FAMILY. IN THE HIGH-ALTITUDE GRADIENT OF THE CITY OF YUMECHORR OF THE KHIBINY MOUNTAIN RANGE

Abiotic factors, such as solar radiation, altitude range, hydrothermal regime, chemical composition of the soil, have a significant impact on the accumulation of secondary metabolites. In this regard, the assessment of the variability of the content of biologically active substances by shrubby plants was carried out in the gradient of the southwestern slope of the city of Yumechorr of the Khibiny mountain massif (Murmansk region). The objects of the study were the vegetative organs of plants of the сrowberry (Empetrum hermaphroditum Hager. (syn.: Empetrum nigrum subsp. hermaphroditum (Hagerup) Böcher (World Flora Online, id: wfo-0000667247)), bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.), bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L.), blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) of the heather family (Ericaceae Juss.). The influence of growing conditions on the species diversity and floral similarity of plant belts is noted. The extracts were obtained by maceration with an alcohol-water mixture with a content of 80 vol. % ethanol. The variability of the content of biologically active compounds was analyzed. A high content of polyphenolic components in the vegetative organs of plants has been determined. The absence of a clear linear dependence of the influence of altitude above sea level on the content of phenolic compounds has been established. Extracts of the vegetative organs of the studied plants can be recommended as a promising source of bioactive compounds.