Antioxidant enzymes activity in leaves of salt stressed Excoecaria agallocha L.

ObjectiveTo identify the effect of different concentrations of NaCl on some antioxidant enzyme activities of leaves of salt-stressed true mangrove.MethodsExcoecaria agallocha (E. agallocha) subjected to varying levels of NaCl. Salt stress was imposed on 60 days old plants with ten different concentrations of NaCl (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1 000 mM).ResultsE. ahallocha seedlings survived up to 500 mM. Above 500 mM the seedlings did not survived. The leaves of 60 day old plants were used for the analysis of enzyme activities. NaCl stress enhanced the enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase, peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase and superoxide dismutase. The highest CAT, PPO activities in the leaves enhanced gradually up to 300 mM NaCl concentrations, the highest SOD, POX activities in the leaves were observed at NaCl concentrations of 400 mM (SOD), and 500 mM (POX) respectively.ConclusionIncrease in anti-oxidant enzyme activity could be a response to cellular damage induced by NaCl.