English Title
Medicinal Plants’ Stress Factors
Keywords
plant metabolites, stress factors, biotic and abiotic stresses, defense mechanisms.
Disciplines
Architecture | Business | Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Medicinal plants are rich in secondary metabolites representing different chemical classes and synthesized by various biochemical pathways. However, these compounds are susceptible to potential herbal predators and to environmental influences. Several factors induce different biotic and abiotic stresses (drought, cold, salinity, heat) that lead to fluctuations in the biogenesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites by which plants react to overcome the threatening stress conditions. This contribution aims to give an overview of the various medicinal plant defense mechanisms against imminent threats and their impact on secondary metabolites profiles in the most effective medicinal plant species such as the levels of vincristine in Catharanthus roseus which is affected by salinity and drought stress, sage (Salvia officinalis) that showed fluctuations in terpenes level under drought stress and mineral contents in the soil and Papaver somniferum that exhibited a decrease in alkaloids content under cold stress. From a wider perspective, the aim of this study is to present novel tools and strategies used for the preservation of some plant species from extinction by minimizing as much as possible the risk of exogenous influences on phytochemicals levels and on plant bio genome and manipulating the stress factors to ensure plants quality and safety. It also aims to raise awareness about the consumption of herbal medicines without respecting the herbal monographs information about the safe dose, the interactions with drugs, and the side effects, in addition to the necessity of performing toxicity studies by pharmaceutical industries, especially on herbal medicines raised under various stress factors because of the risk of SMs (secondary metabolites) accumulation in these plants at a critical level that may be toxic to consumers.
Author ORCID Identifier
Mayssaloune Ali Kanso - https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8632-1451
Mohamad Ali Hijazi - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9829-235X
Maha Aboul Ela - https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9411-4900
Abdalla El-Lakany - https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2122-2289
Recommended Citation
kanso, Mayssaloune ALI; hijazi, mohamad ali; Aboul Ela, Maha Prof.; and El-Lakany, Abdalla
(2022)
"MEDICINAL PLANTS’ STRESS FACTORS: EFFECTS ON METABOLITES AND NOVEL PERSPECTIVES FOR TOLERANCE,"
BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing: Vol. 5:
Iss.
1, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54729/XWWG9154
Included in
Architecture Commons, Business Commons, Life Sciences Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons
English Abstract
Medicinal plants are rich in secondary metabolites representing different chemical classes and synthesized by various biochemical pathways. However, these compounds are susceptible to potential herbal predators and to environmental influences. Several factors induce different biotic and abiotic stresses (drought, cold, salinity, heat) that lead to fluctuations in the biogenesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites by which plants react to overcome the threatening stress conditions. This contribution aims to give an overview of the various medicinal plant defense mechanisms against imminent threats and their impact on secondary metabolites profiles in the most effective medicinal plant species such as the levels of vincristine in Catharanthus roseus which is affected by salinity and drought stress, sage (Salvia officinalis) that showed fluctuations in terpenes level under drought stress and mineral contents in the soil and Papaver somniferum that exhibited a decrease in alkaloids content under cold stress. From a wider perspective, the aim of this study is to present novel tools and strategies used for the preservation of some plant species from extinction by minimizing as much as possible the risk of exogenous influences on phytochemicals levels and on plant bio genome and manipulating the stress factors to ensure plants quality and safety. It also aims to raise awareness about the consumption of herbal medicines without respecting the herbal monographs information about the safe dose, the interactions with drugs, and the side effects, in addition to the necessity of performing toxicity studies by pharmaceutical industries, especially on herbal medicines raised under various stress factors because of the risk of SMs (secondary metabolites) accumulation in these plants at a critical level that may be toxic to consumers.