The Antioxidant Enzymatic Activity of Date Palm Seedlings Under Abiotic Drought Stress

  Objective: the present research was focused to evaluate the date palm resistance to osmotic stress exerted by three concentrations of poly ethylene glycol 6000 in three months seedlings as reflected by the change in phenolic and flavonoid content and the activity of catalase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase. Materials and Methods: The phenolic and flavonoid content and the target enzyme’s activity was estimated at four time points; 0,1,3,7 days. Results and Discussion: The phenolic and flavonoid content as well as the activity of catalase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase were increased by increasing the poly ethylene glycol and the treatment period. Conclusion: Phenolic and flavonoids are non-enzymatic antioxidants with high scavenging potential to the free radical produced from the oxidative stress resulted from the drought tolerance in date palm seedlings. In addition, the increase in the enzymatic activity of catalase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase under drought stress is very important to get rid of the free radicals and the reactive oxygen species.