Antioxidant Potential of Marigold (Calendula officinalis Linn.) Flowers Grown in Slovakia and Bulgaria

Marigold plants (Calendula officinalis Linn) var. ‘Plamen Plus’ were grown under field conditions during the 2009 season in Trebišov, Slovakia and in Sofia, Bulgaria. The antioxidant potential in Slovak marigold flowers was due to the content of glutathione and ascorbate, two peroxidases (glutathione peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase) and monodehydroascorbate reductase. The antioxidant capacity in Bulgarian marigold flowers was determined by higher levels of flavonoids, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione-S-tansferase and dehydroascorbate reductase. Marigold grown in Slovakia had a higher dry biomass of flower heads with a higher carotenoid content. Different soil-climatic conditions mobilize different compounds of the antioxidant defense system, and accumulate biomass and carotenoids in marigold plants grown in both countries. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________