Abstract
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are well recognized for their defensive role in plants under abiotic stress conditions, but 28-homobrassinolide (HBR)-induced tolerance to drought stress has not been reported in soybean (Glycine max L.). The present study investigated the effect of HBR on soybean seedlings under drought stress. Drought stress suppressed growth and photosynthetic systems while increased the proline, glycine betaine (GB), anthocyanin, total phenolic (TP), and total flavonoid (TF) levels in soybean seedlings. HBR restricted reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and decreased the hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content by triggering the antioxidant systems. HBR acts as a shield in soybean, protecting the plant against the harmful effects of methylglyoxal (MG) effects by upregulating the enzymes glyoxalase I, (Gly I;15%) and glyoxalase II (Gly II;29.1%) compared to the levels in drought stressed seedlings. Overall, HBR improved drought tolerance in soybean seedlings by modulating osmolytes, the AsA-GSH cycle, and enzyme activities.