Antioxidant system is insufficient to prevent cell damages in Euterpe oleracea exposed to water deficit

This study aimed to determine whether antioxidant enzymes are efficient to control the oxidative stress and consequent cell damages on leaves and roots in Euterpe oleracea plants exposed to water deficiency. This study was assembled under an experimental design completely randomized with two water conditions (water deficit and control) combined by four evaluation dates (0, 6, 12, and 18 days). Progressive water deficit promoted significant increases in electrolyte leakage and glutathione in both tissue types, and hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde were increased in the leaf. Antioxidant enzyme activities showed similar behaviours, with initial increases and subsequent decreases. Our results revealed that the cell damage observed in leaves and roots was induced by multiple effects related to overproduction of oxidant compounds, such as hydrogen peroxide, and by insufficient CAT, APX, and GPX activities in E. oleracea plants exposed to progressive water deficit.