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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2025)

Nanomaterial based drought mitigation in crops is through antioxidant defense system

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.5915
Submitted
17 October 2024
Published
09-02-2025 — Updated on 22-02-2025
Versions

Abstract

Drought stress significantly impacts crop productivity by affecting the growth and development of plants. Studies have shown that drought stress induces oxidative damage, and the use of antioxidant molecules or nanoparticle (NPs) possessing antioxidant properties may decrease the negative effects of oxidative stress. So far, antioxidants like ascorbic acid, glutathione, proline, and glycine betaine have been studied in detail, but there is limited information available on the effect of NPs in decreasing drought induced oxidative damage. When plants are subjected to drought stress conditions, their ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) decreases leading to an increase in ROS that can damage membranes, proteins, and lipids. Nonenzymatic antioxidants, such as tocopherols, ascorbate, glutathione, phenols, and carotenoids, along with enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidise, can strengthen the plant defense against ROS. Nanoparticles possessing antioxidant properties can mimic antioxidant enzymes, activate, and alter gene expression levels, leading to reduced ROS levels because of their increased surface area and presence of free electrons on their surface. This review discusses the effects of drought stress on crops, the synthesis, and unique properties of NPs, and the various traits improved by NPs possessing antioxidant properties to mitigate drought stress in plants.

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