Biochemical changes associated with flower development in mini potted carnation

The present investigation was undertaken to determine the biochemical changes associated with flower development during the flowering season in the potted carnation cultivars of ‘Lilac on purple’ and ‘Pink’. Ethylene production and the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) content of the flowers were observed to increase up to stage 5 (during the five stage of flowering) in both cultivars. Peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed three distinct phases: a low activity during the initial stages of flowering, a sustained activity during the mid-developmental stages, and accelerated activity at the full bloom. A significantly high activity of POD was observed in both cultivars during the fully open flower stage. The catalase (CAT) activity in ‘Lilac on purple’ was high during the 4th or 5th stages. However, no significant differences in CAT were observed in ‘Pink’. H2O2 content increased with age, with the highest observed at the last stage. Finally, the sugar (Sucrose, Glucose, and Fructose) content in the tissues of the petals increased during the flower opening stage. The findings suggest that the regulation of flower development in mini-potted carnation may be linked to the antioxidant metabolism and the sugar status of the petal tissues.