Stress Management and Therapeutic Prospects of Glutathione Reductase as a Shared Antioxidant in Plants and Animals

In both plants and animals, Glutathione Reductase (GR) is recognized as a key antioxidant enzyme. Owing to its diverse roles in stress response and therapeutic applications, this enzyme has recently drawn significant research interest. GR plays a vital role in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis and protecting cells from oxidative damage, thereby contributing to overall human health. It facilitates the conversion of oxidized Glutathione (GSSG) into its reduced form (GSH), a critical antioxidant molecule essential for numerous cellular processes. Beyond its core biochemical function, GR serves as an important model system for investigating redox regulation and flavoprotein catalysis. Clinically, the enzyme is associated with various pathological conditions, including oxidative stress-related disorders, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. The enzyme's multifaceted functionality has broad implications in biomedical research, clinical therapeutics, and the development of novel treatment strategies. In plants, GR plays a pivotal role in responses to environmental stresses such as drought, salinity, heavy metal toxicity, and pathogen attack. Its activity contributes to the advancement of crop improvement strategies and enhances our understanding of cellular defence mechanisms under stress conditions. It also serves as an important biomarker for stress in plants. The level of GR expression or enzymatic activity is often used as an indicator of the plant's oxidative stress status and its capacity to tolerate adverse conditions. Monitoring GR provides vital data on plant health. This paper provides a detailed analysis of glutathione reductase's biochemical principles, physiological roles in plant and animal systems, significance in stress reduction, and prospective therapeutic applications.