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The present study evaluated the biochemical effects of proton beam irradiation in soybean. Seeds of two Korean elite cultivars (Kwangan and Pungsannamul) were irradiated by a 57-MeV proton beam in the range of 50–400 Gy. We measured the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant enzymes, and chlorophyll. MDA contents in proton beam-irradiated plants were higher than those in control plants. The activity of antioxidant enzymes differed between the two cultivars. In Kwangan, ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity increased by 29% relative to the control at 55 Gy and decreased by 58% at 308 Gy. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities decreased by 47 and 25% relative to the control at 55 Gy and recovered to 87 and 56% of that at 55 Gy with 172 Gy and 117 Gy, respectively. In Pungsannamul, APX and SOD decreased by 32 and 35% relative to the control at 62 Gy, with the highest value observed at 243 Gy. In terms of the chlorophyll content, the two varieties responded similarly to proton beam irradiation, whereas in Kwangan, no significant reduction was observed above 100 Gy when compared with the control. Proton beam irradiation affected chlorophyll b more than chlorophyll a. These results show that the activity of antioxidant enzymes decreased in response to irradiation with approximately 50 Gy proton beams, then increased gradually with increasing doses, followed by a moderate decrease at higher doses. According to correlation with MDA contents and antioxidant enzyme activities, defense system of Pungsannamul was less activated by proton-beam irradiation than that of Kwangan.
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