TY  - JOUR
AU  - Saini, Neesha
AU  - Vijayvergia, Rekha
AU  - Kumar, Anil
T1  - Responses of Medicinal Plants to Drought: Implications for Secondary Metabolite Production
JO  - Journal of Stress Physiology & Biochemistry
Y1  - 2025/june
VL  - 21
IS  - 2
SP  - 167
EP  - 186
UR  - http://www.jspb.ru/issues/2025/N2/JSPB_2025_2_167-186.pdf
KW  - Drought
KW  - signaling
KW  - toxicity
KW  - tolerance
KW  - secondary metabolites
KW  - medicinal plants
U1  - 1997-0838
N2  - Drought places immense stress on the environment, threatening biodiversity, plant growth and productivity worldwide. This burden falls especially hard on medicinal plants grown in arid regions and semi-arid regions. When water is scarce, these plants undergo significant changes in their biochemical and physiological processes. They close their stomata, reduce photosynthesis, and alter their water management processes. These shifts are often accompanied by biochemical adjustments, such as changes in osmotic balance, antioxidant enzyme activity, accumulation of compatible solutes, and modifications in phytohormone levels. Additionally, drought stress can influence the production of secondary metabolites, which are critical for the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses of medicinal plants to drought stress, with a focus on how these responses affect the synthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for improving the cultivation, conservation, and therapeutic quality of medicinal plants under changing environmental conditions.
ER  -