Glutathione Helps Plants Cope with Multiple Abiotic Stresses
1. Heat Stress
High temperatures disrupt photosynthesis and disturb enzyme activity. Exogenous application of glutathione boosts the activity of antioxidant enzymes, accelerating ROS scavenging.
2. Cold Stress
Cold stress causes leaf yellowing and growth arrest. Glutathione reduces low-temperature-induced lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage, preserving cell-membrane stability.
3. Salt and Heavy-Metal Stress
Salt stress leads to water deficit and ionic imbalance; glutathione improves water-use efficiency. Under heavy-metal pollution it lessens cellular toxicity, promotes phytochelatin synthesis, and enhances plant tolerance and detoxification capacity.
High temperatures disrupt photosynthesis and disturb enzyme activity.
