The Alleviation of Metal Stress Nuisance for Plants—A Review of Promising Solutions in the Face of Environmental Challenges

Abstract

Environmental changes are inevitable with time, but their intensification and diversification, occurring in the last several decades due to the combination of both natural and human-made causes, are really a matter of great apprehension. As a consequence, plants are exposed to a variety of abiotic stressors that contribute to their morpho-physiological, biochemical, and molecular alterations, which affects plant growth and development as well as the quality and productivity of crops. Thus, novel strategies are still being developed to meet the challenges of the modern world related to climate changes and natural ecosystem degradation. Innovative methods that have recently received special attention include eco-friendly, easily available, inexpensive, and, very often, plant-based methods. However, such approaches require better cognition and understanding of plant adaptations and acclimation mechanisms in response to adverse conditions. In this succinct review, we have highlighted defense mechanisms against external stimuli (mainly exposure to elevated levels of metal elements) which can be activated through permanent microevolutionary changes in metal-tolerant species or through exogenously applied priming agents that may ensure plant acclimation and thereby elevated stress resistance.

Adesmia pinifolia, a Native High-Andean Species, as a Potential Candidate for Phytoremediation of Cd and Hg

“…There are cellular characteristics that facilitate the life of metallophytes, associated with the efficiency of the antioxidant defence system that faces oxidative stress, maintaining cellular redox homeostasis through the synchronous action of several enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD, APX, and GR) and non-enzymatic antioxidants (AsA and GSH), as well as ROS transformation pathways. These mechanisms form the basis for adaptation to excessive amounts of heavy metals [ 65 ].…”

What Makes the Life of Stressed Plants a Little Easier? Defense Mechanisms against Adverse Conditions

“…Taken together, these results showed that the leaves of P. graveolens can be safely exploited as an herbal raw material which can be used for the extraction of bioactive compounds, the biosynthesis of which might be stimulated by plant exposure to Cu. On the other hand, the review paper of Labudda et al [7] showed the significance of basic sciences in the development of applied sciences. According to the authors, the understanding of plant adaptation and acclimation mechanisms in response to harsh conditions is necessary to relieve the pressure of environmental changes and ensure global food security for an increasing population, as well as to restore areas degraded by human activity.…”

Padrões fisicoquímicos da toxidez causada por cobre em raízes de Allium cepa

“…org/10.33448/rsd-v11i14.36285 3 necrose e morte da planta (Zhang e Li, 2019). Observou-se que as interconversões entre Cu ++ e Cu + podem gerar espécies reativas ao oxigênio (ROS), moléculas que danificam as membranas e várias estruturas biológicas, como DNA, lipídios e proteínas (Labudda et al, 2022).…”