Antioxidant enzymes in cabbage: Variability and inheritance of superoxide dismutase,peroxidase and catalase

Cruciferous vegetables are important source of dietary nutrients and antioxidants. Antioxidants have been touted as beneficial for enhancing plant stand and mitigating the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses. The objective of the present study was to determine variability for superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activity; its transmissibility; and correlation. Samples were harvested at fresh market stage, frozen immediately in liquid nitrogen and placed at −80 °C for assay. The genotypes, namely 83-2, Red Cabbage, KIRC-1-1, ARU Glory, Kinner Red, MR-1, AC-208, Red Rock Mammoth, KIRC-8 and KIRC-1A showed higher activity of antioxidant enzymes and therefore could be useful cascade in breeding for developing cultivars with high antioxidant activity. Enzymatic antioxidant activity showed 1.6, 12.8, and 18.2-fold difference for superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase, respectively. Significant differences for enzymatic antioxidants among germplasm indicate towards the existence of substantial amount of variation. All enzymatic antioxidants showed high heritability along with low genetic advance as percentage of mean indicated the predominance of non-additive genes and provide good prospects for hybridization, and synthetics and hybrid development. The present information, therefore, could be used to develop antioxidant potential cultivars that will enhance in general the stress tolerance ability of plants, shelf life of produce, and healthy/better plant stand by enjoying antioxidants.