Antimony for the plant: similar to arsenic
Antimony (= Stibium) (Sb)
For the plant – similar to arsenic
Antimony is not considered an essential metal, but it is known that its soluble forms are actively taken up by plants from the soil. Thus, the content of antimony in the tissues of trees and shrubs growing in areas of ore mineralization ranges from 7 to 50 mg/kg dry weight, while its average content in the aerial parts of plants is estimated at 0.06 mg/kg dry weight.
In terms of its behavior in the plant organism, antimony is similar to arsenic: it interacts with the thiol groups of proteins and may participate in some enzymatic reactions as a competitor of vital metabolites.
In edible plants, the concentration of antimony ranges from 0.02 to 4.30 µg/kg fresh weight, with the highest levels being characteristic of cabbage, and the lowest – of apples.
The content of antimony in corn grain and potato tubers does not exceed 2 µg/kg dry weight, while in herbs it reaches 29 µg/kg.
The concentration of antimony in the root system of barley and flax is 122 and 167 µg/kg dry weight, respectively, which is significantly higher than its content in the leaves, where it is 10 and 27 µg/kg dry weight. In the root systems of some plants growing in peat soils, the content of antimony is several times lower, while in the leaves it is close to the values mentioned above.
Data on the phytotoxicity of antimony are lacking; however, in plants growing on soils contaminated with industrial emissions or wastewater sludge, its content can be very high.
Medicinal plants containing antimony:
• Rhodiola rosea L., Crassulaceae (rhizome with roots);
• species of Artemisia L., Asteraceae (herb);
• Dipteryx odorata (Aubl.) Willd., Fabaceae (fruits).
• Rhodiola rosea L., Crassulaceae (rhizome with roots);
• species of Artemisia L., Asteraceae (herb);
• Dipteryx odorata (Aubl.) Willd., Fabaceae (fruits).