Antioxidant activity in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cultivars under the pathogenesis of foliar fungal disease complex

A field experiment was carried out to determine the antioxidant activity using two varieties (Nari-38 and Nari-6) and two hybrids (Nari-H-23 and Nari-NH-1) of safflower under the pathogenesis of foliar fungal disease complex involving Alternaria leaf spot, Cercospora leaf spot,Ramularia leaf spot, powdery mildew and rust. The enzymatic antioxidant like catalase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase and nonenzymatic antioxidants like ascorbic acid, proline, reduced glutathione and a-tocopherol were analyzed under pathogenesis. It was observed that catalase activity and ascorbic acid were declined while, activity of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase, proline, reduced glutathione and a-tocopherol were increased in infected leaves of all safflower cultivars over healthy leaves. The altered antioxidant profile in infected leaves of all safflower cultivars could be pertained with induced resistance against oxidative stress to combat foliar fungal disease complex.