Abstract
Abiotic stresses severely affect the growth, development, and ultimately yield of the plant, which results in heavy economic losses and food crisis. Oxidative stress, which is associated with almost all the abiotic stresses, is due to over production of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) including superoxide ion, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals. Plants combat the oxidative stress via enzymatic and non-enzymatic machinery. Glutathione reductase (GR) is one of the potential enzymes of the enzymatic antioxidant system, which sustains the reduced status of GSH via Ascorbate Glutathione pathway and plays a vital role in maintenance of sulfhydryl (-SH) group and acts as a substrate for glutathione-S-transferases. GR has been characterised and has been used in the transgenics to provide the plants with tolerance against the oxidative stress.