Abstract: Activities of the antioxidant enzymes involved in superoxide anion (O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) metabolism were determined and the contents of O2 and 14202 were also measured. All concentrations of sahcylic acid (SA) tested (0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 mmoL/L) significantly enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities not only in the first treated true leaf (leaf 1 ) but also in the second untreated true leaf (leaf 2) of Cucumis sativus L. When the leaves were treated with 1 mmol/L SA within 6 to 72 h, the activity of POD increased by 22 % to 67% in the treated leaf 1 and by 14% to 86% in the untreated leaf 2. However, no changes were observed during 3 h after treatment and at 96 h following treatment. Measurement of O2- and H202 showed that there was a significant decrease in 02' content and an increase in H202 content after SA treatment, but catalase (CAT) activity was only slighfiy inhibited and this suggested that the reason of the increase in H2O2 by SA treatment is not due to the inhibition of CAT but rather the increase in SOD activity. It was also found that SA at all concentrations tested could not induce new SOD isozyme but it induced 1 to 2 bands of new POD isozyme within one day after treatment. The results indicate that SA might involve in the regulation of antioxidant enzymes.

Key words: Salicylic acid, Cucumber, Antioxidant enzymes, Active oxygen species