drought stress

Drought stress significantly limits plant growth and crop productivity. In Arabidopsis thaliana, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation under water deficit leads to oxidative stress. Plants mitigate ROS damage through antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). This study investigated how drought affects antioxidant enzyme activity in A. thaliana under controlled conditions. Our results show significant increases in SOD, CAT, and POD activities in drought-treated plants compared to well-watered controls, indicating an upregulation of defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. These findings advance understanding of drought tolerance pathways and could inform breeding strategies for improved stress resilience in crops.