The antioxidant system in Olea europaea to enhanced UV-B radiation also depends on flavonoids and secoiridoids

The Mediterranean crop Olea europaea is often exposed to high UV-B irradiation conditions. To understand how this species modulates its enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant system under high UV-B radiation, young O. europaea plants (cultivar “Galega Vulgar”) were exposed, for five days, to UV-B radiation (6.5 kJ m−2 d−1 and 12.4 kJ m−2 d−1). Our data indicate that UV-doses slightly differ in the modulation of the antioxidant protective mechanisms. Particularly, superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (GPox) and catalase (CAT) activities increased contributing to H2O2 homeostasis, being more solicited by higher UV-B doses. Also, glutathione reductase (Gr) activity, ascorbate (AsA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) pools increased particularly under the highest dose, suggesting a higher mobilization of the antioxidant system in this dose. The leaf metabolites’ profile of this cultivar was analysed by UHPLC-MS. Interestingly, high levels of verbascoside were found, followed by oleuropein and luteolin-7-O-glucoside. Both UV-B treatments affected mostly less abundant flavonoids (decreasing 4ʹ-methoxy luteolin and 4ʹ or 3ʹ-methoxy luteolin glucoside) and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (HCAds, increasing β-hydroxyverbascoside). These changes show not only different mobilization with the UV-intensity, but also reinforce for the first time the protective roles of these minor compounds against UV-B, as reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers and UV-B shields, in complement with other antioxidant systems (e.g. AsA/GSH cycle), particularly for high UV-B doses. Secoiridoids also standout in the response to both UV-B doses, with decreases of oleuropein and increases 2ʹʹ-methoxyoleuropein. Being oleuropein an abundant compound, data suggest that secoiridoids play a more important role than flavonoids and HCAds, in O. europaea protection against UV-B, possibly by acting as signalling molecules and ROS scavengers. This is the first report on the influence of UV-B radiation on the secoiridoid oleuropein, and provides a novel insight to the role of this compound in the O. europaea antioxidant defence mechanisms. [Display omitted] •Moderate and high UV-B doses activated similar antioxidant protective mechanisms.•High UV-B dose promote higher activation of the antioxidant enzymes and AsA/GSH.•Flavonoids, secoiridoids and HCAds respond similarly to 6.5 and 12.4 kJ m−2d−1 UV-B•UV-B treatments reduce some protective compounds level, such as oleuropein.