Plant growth regulators alters antioxidant metabolisms in Solanum trilobatum L.: An underutilized medicinal herb

In this study, the changes in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants of Solanum trilobatum was estimated upon treatment with plant growth regulators (PGR) like Abscisic acid (ABA), Paclobutrazol (PBZ) and Salicylic acid (SA). The given treatments were started at 70th day followed by 80th, 90th and 100th Days After Sowing (DAS). The groups were treated with respect growth hormones by spraying method to ABA 10 µg L-1, PBZ 10 mg L-1 and SA 500 µg L-1 concentrations. The plant was harvested on 80th, 90th, 100th and 110th DAS and analyzed the non-enzymatic antioxidants like Reduced glutathione (GSH), Ascorbic acid (AA) and ?-tocopherol contents and enzymatic antioxidants like Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Peroxidase (POX), Catalase (CAT) and Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities. In all the non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant contents were increased by the growth regulators to a significant extent when compared with control plants. In our results indicated that the ABA, PBZ and SA applications at low concentration can be used as a potential tool to increase defence mechanisms in medicinal plants.&nbsp