Inoculating wheat (cv. Giza 164) with various Fusarium species had different effects on the catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in different plant tissues. The CAT activity induced in the shoots of wheat plants by some pathogens (F. merismoides, F. moniliforme, F. poae and F. sambucinum) was relatively higher than that induced by other pathogens. The results showed an increase in POX activity in infected shoots except those inoculated with F. sambucinum, where the POX activity decreased. Inoculating wheat plants with individual Fusarium species or with a mixture of pathogens caused an increase in APX in the shoots, except for those treated with F. poae, where the APX activity decreased. The activity of these antioxidant enzymes thus increased in most cases in the shoot system of wheat plants under Fusarium infection. Investigations on the metabolic activity of wheat plants inouculated with individual Fusarium species or with a mixture of pathogens showed higher contents of all the protein fractions, soluble sugars, total free amino acids and proline. The K + and Ca
2+concentrations decreased to various extents in different cases. The Na + content increased in wheat shoots, especially after inoculation with F. merismoides. The results signify that the most serious infection was caused by F. culmorum, F. graminearum and F. oxysporum and by a mixture of all the Fusarium species.