Table 2 Formula equations and reference of the metabolic changes used in the present manuscript

Photosynthetic pigments

Total Chlorophyll (mg/gFW) = Chlorophyll a + Chlorophyll b

Chlorophyll a (mg/gFW) = (12 * A663) − (3.11 * A646)

Chlorophyll b (mg/gFW) = (20.78 * A646) − (4.88 * A663)

Carotenoid (mg/gFW) = (1000 * A480 − 1.12 * Chl a − 34.07 * Chl b)/245

Wellburn (1994)

Proline content

\(\mu {\text{moles Proline}}/{\text{g of fresh weight = }}\frac{{\mu {\text{g}} {\text{Proline}}/{\text{ml X ml Toluene}}}}{{{115}.{5 }\mu {\text{g}}/\mu {\text{mole}}}}{\text{Xg sample}}/{5}\)

Bates et al. (1973)

Catalase Activity (CAT)

\({\text{CAT Activity }}\left( {{\text{U}}/{\text{L}}} \right) = \frac{{^{{ {\text{A}}}} {\text{standard }}{-}^{{\text{A}}} {\text{sample}}}}{{^{{\text{A}}} {\text{standard}}}}{\text{X 1}}000\)

Aebi (1984)

Superoxide dismutase (SOD)

\({\text{Percent inhibition}} = \frac{{_{\Delta }^{{\text{A}}} {\text{control }}{-}_{\Delta }^{{\text{A}}} {\text{sample}}}}{{_{\Delta }^{{\text{A}}} {\text{control}}}}{\text{X 1}}00\)

Where: Δ ^Acontrol = The change in absorbance at 560nm over 5min. following the addition of PMS to the reaction mixture in the absence of sample:

Δ ^A sample = The change in absorbance at 560nm over 5min. following the addition of PMS to the reaction mixture in the presence of sample

SOD Activity (U/ml) assessed according to that equation:

U/ml = % Inhibition *3.75

Nishikimi et al. (1972)

Glutathione peroxidase (GPx)

\({\text{GPx Activity }}\left( {{\text{mU}}/{\text{ml}}} \right) \, = \frac{{{\text{A 34}}0 \, /{\text{ min}}}}{{0.00{622} }}{\text{X 121 X Dilution factor}}\)

Paglia and Valentine (1967)