**3.5 Plant antioxidant defense against high temperature**

Plants' antioxidant defense mechanisms are triggered in response to high temperature (HT) stress [79, 80] although antioxidant capability varies amongst species as well as resistant and susceptible genotypes [81]. Reduced SOD and CAT activity, as well as repressed OsSOD, OsCAT, and OsAPX2 expression resulted in a 1.27-fold increased H2O2 accumulation in germinating rice seeds in high-temperature stress, according to Liu et al. [82]. Sarkar et al. [83] discovered increased CAT and POX activities in wheat genotypes during high-temperature stress (30<sup>o</sup> C).
