Effect of salt stress on antioxidative enzyme activities of various Triticum spelta wheats

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of salt stress on antioxidative enzyme activities of various Triticum spelta wheat genotypes (SP 913, SP 853, SP 41). Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions with different NaCl doses (0, 6 and 12 dS m-1) for 56 days. While shoot and root dry matter productions significantly decreased, shoot Na, K and Ca concentrations increased with NaCl treatments. Salt treatments also reduced shoot K/Na and Ca/Na ratios. The most remarkable decreases in K/Na and Ca/Na ratios were observed in SP 41. Lipid peroxidation of SP 41 significantly increased with salt stress. Ascorbic acid concentrations of all genotypes decreased with salt stress. While salt treatments increased SOD activity of SP 913 and SP 853 genotypes, the increase in SOD activity of SP 913 at 12 dS m-1 dose was quite remarkable. As compared to control treatment, APX activity of SP 913 genotype significantly increased, but APX activity of SP 853 significantly decreased at the highest salt dose. GR activity of SP 913 increased with increasing salinity levels and the genotypes SP 853 and SP 41 had similar increases in their GR activities. Increasing salt treatments increased CAT activities of SP 913 and SP 853 genotypes, but significant changes were not observed in CAT activity of SP 41 genotype. According to the results obtained, SP 913 genotype had more efficient antioxidative defense mechanism than SP 853 under high salt stress. SP 41 genotype had high salt stress-induced oxidative damage and low antioxidative defense mechanism.