Effect of Temperature (Cold and Hot) Stress on Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Environmental factors such as light intensity, humidity, microbial attack, and temperature etc. are prominent in causing stress to medicinal plants which results in altered physiological processes. We know that medicinal properties in plants are attributed to the phytochemicals (secondary metabolites) present in them, which are governed by the various internal and external factors a plant is acted upon. One of the major factors that influence secondary metabolite production in plants is temperature under which a plant has to grow. Temperature extremes induce various physiological, morphological, and molecular changes in medicinal plants and these changes need to be addressed to find out approaches in order to empower medicinal plants’ growth and healthy survival. High temperature induces direct and indirect damage to plants via protein denaturation and inactivation of chloroplast enzymes respectively. Cold temperature stress induces reduction in water uptake by plants, thus leading to cellular dehydration. Thus, there is a need to develop suitable engineered medicinal species of plants by creating desired genetic modifications for optimum growth, survival, and productivity.