Advances in the research on the AsA-GSH cycle in horticultural crops

Abstract

The adaptation of plants to stressed environments depends greatly upon the metabolic level of antioxidant systems within their bodies. Among the enzymatic antioxidant systems, the AsA-GSH cycle occupies a vital place and has become a hot research field in recent years. The AsA-GSH cycle can directly scavenge H₂O₂ produced in plants on one hand, and the antioxidants AsA and GSH produced in the cycle can also scavenge other species of active oxygen by means of additional pathways on the other hand. Environmental conditions and exogenous formulations can alter the oxidative and reductive status in plants and mediate the metabolic level of the AsA-GSH cycle within a certain range, thus regulating the resistance of plants to stresses. The present paper reviews the advances in research on the AsA-GSH cycle with respect to horticultural crops, so as to provide some beneficial reference for further studies.

Keywords

AsA-GSH cycle / horticultural crops / antioxidant system / antioxidant