The present research was performed to assess the effect of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) on salt-stressed soybean plants. Salt stress suppressed growth, biomass yield, gas exchange parameters, pigment content, and chlorophyll fluorescence, but all these parameters were up-regulated by EBR supply. Moreover, salt stress increased hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage. EBR supplementation reduced the accumulation of oxidative stress biomarkers. The activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and the accumulation of proline, glycinebetaine, total phenols, and total flavonoids increased with NaCl stress, but these attributes further increased with EBR supplementation. The activities of enzymes and the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants involved in the Asc-Glu cycle also increased with NaCl stress, and further enhancement in these attributes was recorded by EBR supplementation. Salinity elevated the methylglyoxal content, but it was decreased by the EBR supplementation accompanying with up-regulation of the glyoxalase cycle (GlyI and GlyII). Salinity enhanced the Na⁺ uptake in root and shoot coupled with a decrease in uptake of Ca²⁺, K⁺, and P. However, EBR supplementation declined Na⁺ accumulation and promoted the uptake of the aforementioned nutrients. Overall, EBR supplementation regulated the salt tolerance mechanism in soybean plants by modulating osmolytes, activities of key enzymes, and the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants.

Cadmium stress is one of the chief environmental cues that can substantially reduce plant growth. In the present research, we studied the effect of jasmonic acid (JA) and gibberellic acid (GA₃) applied individually and/or in combination to chickpea (Cicer arietinum) plants exposed to 150 µM cadmium sulphate. Cadmium stress resulted in reduced plant growth and pigment contents. Moreover, chickpea plants under cadmium contamination displayed higher levels of electrolytic leakage, H₂O_2,and malonaldehyde, as well as lower relative water content. Plants primed with JA (1 nM) and those foliar-fed with GA₃(10^–6 M) showed improved metal tolerance by reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, malonaldehyde and electrolytic leakage, and increasing relative water content. . Osmoprotectants like proline and glycinebetaine increased under cadmium contamination. Additionally, the enzymatic activities and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels increased markedly under Cd stress, but application of JA as well as of GA₃further improved these attributes. Enzymes pertaining to the ascorbate glutathione and glyoxylase systems increased significantly when the chickpea plants were exposed to Cd. However, JA and GA₃applied singly or in combination showed improved enzymatic activities as well as nutrient uptake, whereas they reduced the metal accumulation in chickpea plants. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that JA and GA₃are suitable agents for regulating Cd stress resistance in chickpea plants.