Table 2 Effect of EBR seed-soaking on the contents of stress markers and glutathione along with activities of antioxidative enzymes in Brassica juncea seedlings grown in IMI supplemented substratum (Mean ± SD, Two-way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD, multiple linear regression)

H₂O₂ content (μmol g⁻¹ FW)

O^. ₂ ⁻ content (μmol g⁻¹ FW)

SOD activity (Units mg⁻¹ protein)

CAT activity (μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein)

POD activity (μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein)

GR activity (μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein)

GST activity (μmol min⁻¹ mg⁻¹ protein)

GSH content (mg g⁻¹ FW)

IMI (mg L⁻¹)

EBR (nM)

0

0

12.70 ± 1.27

0.97 ± 0.15

29.27 ± 3.29

5.68 ± 0.74

35.10 ± 2.88

5.91 ± 0.24

26.48 ± 1.06

0.51 ± 0.02

0

100

11.48 ± 1.87

0.88 ± 0.12

38.85 ± 4.95

7.57 ± 0.83

52.94 ± 4.60

8.51 ± 0.59

34.20 ± 2.33

0.75 ± 0.05

150

0

15.22 ± 1.53

1.64 ± 0.29

36.25 ± 5.03

6.71 ± 0.98

44.14 ± 5.19

7.83 ± 0.60

28.99 ± 1.52

0.56 ± 0.03

150

100

10.11 ± 0.35

1.02 ± 0.20

53.98 ± 6.24

9.93 ± 1.14

71.46 ± 4.85

10.81 ± 0.66

37.47 ± 2.51

0.69 ± 0.03

200

0

17.41 ± 3.17

2.56 ± 0.52

32.85 ± 3.52

5.19 ± 0.85

68.23 ± 8.52

7.91 ± 0.41

31.25 ± 1.25

0.50 ± 0.04

200

100

10.94 ± 1.61

1.64 ± 0.17

50.72 ± 6.23

8.94 ± 0.50

94.40 ± 10.41

9.66 ± 1.20

38.67 ± 2.13

0.72 ± 0.07

250

0

21.70 ± 0.47

3.14 ± 0.60

27.98 ± 5.22

3.50 ± 0.74

43.93 ± 3.71

5.88 ± 0.64

25.71 ± 1.01

0.39 ± 0.06

250

100

14.81 ± 0.86

1.75 ± 0.29

42.67 ± 3.43

6.47 ± 0.78

74.28 ± 8.45

7.11 ± 1.03

32.89 ± 0.98

0.62 ± 0.04

17.53***

54.84***

3.77*

4.59

25.53***

30.32***

3.98*

0.95

6.99**

56.66***

0.95

13.77

16.14***

74.60***

1.32

2.31

33.01***

89.59***

0.99

18.60

19.73***

51.55***

1.77

2.06

14.00***

122.45***

0.16

4.81

10.79***

128.84***

2.03

0.08

Significant at p <

β_IMI

β_EBR

0.4994

–0.6379

0.001

0.7037

–0.4741

0.001

0.1403

0.7662

0.001

–0.1852

0.7222

0.001

0.4660

0.6569

0.001

0.0110

0.6247

0.01

0.0725

0.8226

0.001

–0.3077

0.8384

0.001