INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF PRESOWING GAMMA IRRADIATION OF SEEDS ON THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ZEA MAYS, GROWING UNDER CONDITIONS OF SALT STRESS

Abstract

The paper presents the results on the effect of pre-sowing γ-irradiation of seeds on the antioxidant activity of corn growing under conditions of salt stress. Antioxidant activity was studied based on changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APO) and catalase (CAT). It was shown that CAT and APO are highly active in the salt concentration range of (1–10) mM and (5–50) mM, respectively. It is assumed that an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes helps to reduce the negative effects of salt at these NaCl concentrations. It was shown that a decrease in the activity of APO and CAT in the range of salt concentration from 50 to 100 mМ occurs against the background of an increase in SOD activity. The results obtained allow us to express the opinion that “antioxidant enzymes under conditions of relatively high stress function, to some extent, in an interconnected, coordinated manner”.