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Activation of antioxidant defense in maize in response to attack by Sesamia inferens (Walker)

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Abstract

Plants defend from herbivores by activating a plethora of genetic and biochemical mechanisms aimed at reducing insect survival and plant damage. In this study, we analyzed constitutive and insect damage induced macromolecules, antioxidant enzymes and corresponding antioxidants in order to identify strength of resistance in maize in response to attack by Sesamia inferens. There were significant differences among the maize genotypes for all the test biochemicals. Further, the S. inferens damage resulted in significant increase in total proteins, total sugars, catalase, phenyl ammonia lyase, tyrosine ammonia lyase, total antioxidants, total phenol, tannins and Ferric ion reducing antioxidant power, but there was also a significant variation in increase in these biochemicals with respect to genotypes. The integrative analysis of these macromolecules, antioxidant enzymes and antioxidants revealed that the S. inferens damage in maize is characterized by higher secondary metabolite production and a strong redox response in resistant maize genotypes, mainly mediated by tannins and phenols as anti-nutritive compounds. Furthermore, the maize genotypes viz., CPM 2, CPM 9, CPM 13, CPM 15 and CML 345 were found with greater constitutive and/or pink stem borer induced defense phytochemicals like enzymatic activity and nonenzymatic antioxidant defense biochemicals, thus could be used to develop S. inferens resistant varieties of maize.

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Acknowledgements

This study is part of M.Sc. thesis of Mr. Ashok K. Sau. The authors are thankful to the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi for encouragement, providing necessary facilities and senior research fellowship to the first author.

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  1. Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Ashok K. Sau, Mukesh K. Dhillon & Neha Trivedi

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  1. Ashok K. Sau
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  2. Mukesh K. Dhillon
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Correspondence to Mukesh K. Dhillon.

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Sau, A.K., Dhillon, M.K. & Trivedi, N. Activation of antioxidant defense in maize in response to attack by Sesamia inferens (Walker). Phytoparasitica 50, 1043–1058 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-022-00996-2

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