The timely study aimed to evaluate the salt resistance in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars under the influence of salinity stress conditions. The research analyzed variations in antioxidant enzyme activity, osmoprotective metabolites and oxidative stress indicators, and protein content in grains to select the promising genotypes. The results revealed that under salinity stress conditions, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) displayed sharp increases in chickpea cultivars, with the highest index recorded in the chickpea cultivar Polvon (with 6 times SOD). In chickpea cultivars Darmon and Gulistan, the proline accumulation increased to 2–3 times as compared to the control cultivar, while it was a bit higher in the cultivar Polvon than the control. The hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased in cultivars Polvon and Darmon, while the MDA increased in the cultivar Gulistan. Salinity caused a reduction in the grain protein content in all cultivars. In conclusion, antioxidant enzymes and osmoprotective metabolites proved important in chickpea genotypes’ salt stress tolerance.

Keywords: Chickpea (C. arietinum L.), cultivars, salinity, antioxidant enzymes, proline, ascorbic acid, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, glutathione, protein

Key findings: The degree of chickpea (C. arietinum L.) genotypes’ adaptation to salinity stress significantly varied. Cultivars Polvon and Darmon showed the highest salt-stress resistance through a considerable self-defense system.