Department of Biochemistry, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India, 141004.
*Corresponding author's Present Address: Assistant Biochemist, Department of Breeding and Genetics, H.P.K.V., Palampur, (HP).
Watering of eight weeks old pot grown pea plants with 200 ml elicitor (salicylic acid and 4-aminobutyric acid) solution increased the activity of enzymes known to be involved in the defense of the plant against pathogens. The four enzymes under study, viz. peroxidase (PO), polyphenoloxidase (PPO), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed enhancement in their activity to different extent, with PAL showing maximum significant increase in activity followed by PO and PPO. The phenolic contents also increased with elicitor treatment. The study suggested that the elicitor watering could be used as prophylactic measure as enzyme inducer. Moreover, the increase in enzyme activities was more pronounced after treatment with SA as compare to 4-ABA, indicating that SA is better inducer of defense related enzymes in pea.
4-Aminobutyric acid, defense related enzymes, elicitor, phenols, salicylic acid
