Home Physical Sciences Chapter 5 Impact of drought stress on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 5 Impact of drought stress on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry

  • Gülen Özyazıcı ORCID logo and Negar Valizadeh
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Explore this Subject How to publish with us
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
This chapter is in the book Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Abstract

Today, medicinal plants have a wide range of uses not only in the field of health but also in different sectors such as perfumery, cosmetics, food industry and phytotherapy. In addition to their potential to treat diseases, these plants are also valued for their contributions to different industries. Medicinal plants with various phytochemical compounds such as secondary metabolites, for example, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, steroids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, volatile oils and aromatic compounds are exposed to abiotic stress such as drought. Drought, one of the abiotic factors, causes a decrease in plant height, plant leaf area, number, and such other decreases, thus not only changing the plant structurally and anatomically, but also leading to fluctuations in its chemical components. The quality and quantity of the components of secondary metabolites synthesized by the plant help to cope with the harmful effects of stress for adaptation and defense. Numerous studies have shown that drought affects the accumulation of secondary metabolites in different organs of the plant and causes an increase or decrease in different plant species and even in different species of the same genus. Since the main aim in medicinal plants is not only to increase the yield of seeds, leaves, and flowers but also to increase the production of active ingredients such as essential oils, the cultivation and management of medicinal plants under stress conditions is different from other crops. This study provides a summary of recent literature covering the studies on the morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of medicinal and aromatic plants under drought stress.

Abstract

Today, medicinal plants have a wide range of uses not only in the field of health but also in different sectors such as perfumery, cosmetics, food industry and phytotherapy. In addition to their potential to treat diseases, these plants are also valued for their contributions to different industries. Medicinal plants with various phytochemical compounds such as secondary metabolites, for example, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, steroids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, volatile oils and aromatic compounds are exposed to abiotic stress such as drought. Drought, one of the abiotic factors, causes a decrease in plant height, plant leaf area, number, and such other decreases, thus not only changing the plant structurally and anatomically, but also leading to fluctuations in its chemical components. The quality and quantity of the components of secondary metabolites synthesized by the plant help to cope with the harmful effects of stress for adaptation and defense. Numerous studies have shown that drought affects the accumulation of secondary metabolites in different organs of the plant and causes an increase or decrease in different plant species and even in different species of the same genus. Since the main aim in medicinal plants is not only to increase the yield of seeds, leaves, and flowers but also to increase the production of active ingredients such as essential oils, the cultivation and management of medicinal plants under stress conditions is different from other crops. This study provides a summary of recent literature covering the studies on the morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of medicinal and aromatic plants under drought stress.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Part I: Introduction
  4. Chapter 1 The importance of medicinal and aromatic plants for living things 1
  5. Chapter 2 Methods of obtaining drugs from medicinal and aromatic plants 41
  6. Chapter 3 Challenges encountered in growing medicinal and aromatic plants 119
  7. Chapter 4 Medicinal and aromatic plants that are toxic 155
  8. Part II: Effect of stress factors on medicinal and aromatic plants
  9. Chapter 5 Impact of drought stress on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry 197
  10. Chapter 6 Impact of salinity stress on medicinal and aromatic plant biotechnology 229
  11. Chapter 7 Impact of heavy metal on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry 265
  12. Chapter 8 Metabolic and hormonal responses of medicinal and aromatic plants to abiotic stress 299
  13. Part III: Pharmaceutical use of medicinal plants
  14. Chapter 9 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in burn treatment 327
  15. Chapter 10 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in respiratory diseases 363
  16. Chapter 11 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antioxidant properties 385
  17. Chapter 12 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antibacterial properties 417
  18. Part IV: Uses of medicinal and aromatic plants in other areas
  19. Chapter 13 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in cosmetics 457
  20. Chapter 14 Edible medicinal and aromatic plants 491
  21. Chapter 15 The mysteries of Moroccan nature: aromatic plants and their therapeutic medicinal properties 513
  22. Chapter 16 The use of medicinal and aromatic plants in aromatherapy 547
  23. Chapter 17 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antioxidant properties 581
  24. Chapter 18 Medicinal and aromatic plants with anti-parasitic properties 611
  25. Chapter 19 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in personal care products 651
  26. Chapter 20 Genotoxic effects of medicinal and aromatic plants 681
  27. Chapter 21 Applicability of start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism markers in determining genetic diversity in medicinal and aromatic plants 707
  28. Index 743
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111469713-005

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. Part I: Introduction
  4. Chapter 1 The importance of medicinal and aromatic plants for living things 1
  5. Chapter 2 Methods of obtaining drugs from medicinal and aromatic plants 41
  6. Chapter 3 Challenges encountered in growing medicinal and aromatic plants 119
  7. Chapter 4 Medicinal and aromatic plants that are toxic 155
  8. Part II: Effect of stress factors on medicinal and aromatic plants
  9. Chapter 5 Impact of drought stress on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry 197
  10. Chapter 6 Impact of salinity stress on medicinal and aromatic plant biotechnology 229
  11. Chapter 7 Impact of heavy metal on the medicinal and aromatic plants’ biochemistry 265
  12. Chapter 8 Metabolic and hormonal responses of medicinal and aromatic plants to abiotic stress 299
  13. Part III: Pharmaceutical use of medicinal plants
  14. Chapter 9 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in burn treatment 327
  15. Chapter 10 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in respiratory diseases 363
  16. Chapter 11 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antioxidant properties 385
  17. Chapter 12 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antibacterial properties 417
  18. Part IV: Uses of medicinal and aromatic plants in other areas
  19. Chapter 13 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in cosmetics 457
  20. Chapter 14 Edible medicinal and aromatic plants 491
  21. Chapter 15 The mysteries of Moroccan nature: aromatic plants and their therapeutic medicinal properties 513
  22. Chapter 16 The use of medicinal and aromatic plants in aromatherapy 547
  23. Chapter 17 Medicinal and aromatic plants with antioxidant properties 581
  24. Chapter 18 Medicinal and aromatic plants with anti-parasitic properties 611
  25. Chapter 19 Medicinal and aromatic plants used in personal care products 651
  26. Chapter 20 Genotoxic effects of medicinal and aromatic plants 681
  27. Chapter 21 Applicability of start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism markers in determining genetic diversity in medicinal and aromatic plants 707
  28. Index 743
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 23.11.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111469713-005/html?lang=en
Scroll to top button