Salt Stress Tolerance in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: A Review

Soil salinity is a globally pervasive issue, significantly affecting crop productivity and quality. This review provides a comprehensive overview of salt stress tolerance in medicinal and aromatic plants, plants known for their unique metabolic capabilities and resilience to abiotic stress. The adverse impact of salt stress on plant development, growth, and chemical composition is examined, emphasizing the specific effects on medicinal and aromatic plants, such as reduced biomass, altered yield, and modification of chemical composition. We delve into the complex responses exhibited by plants under salt stress, including physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms. Physiological responses such as osmotic adjustment and ion homeostasis, biochemical responses including antioxidant production and compatible solute synthesis, and molecular responses like the upregulation of salt stress-responsive genes and hormone modulation, all contribute to salt stress tolerance. Understanding these intricate mechanisms offers valuable insights into the plants' resilience under salt stress. This review also discusses strategies to enhance salt stress tolerance in medicinal and aromatic plants, encompassing breeding and genetic modification, management strategies, and the utilization of beneficial soil microbes. The potential of selective breeding and genetic engineering in developing salt-tolerant plants is explored, along with the implementation of efficient irrigation systems and the use of salt-tolerant rootstocks. Additionally, the potential role of beneficial soil microbes such as mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in alleviating salt stress is highlighted. Lastly, we present potential future directions and applications for this research. The findings and strategies elaborated upon in this review have far-reaching implications, including the improvement of salt stress tolerance in other crops, promoting sustainable agriculture in saline soils, and potential therapeutic implications due to altered biochemical composition under salt stress. The continuation of research in this field is critical to tackling soil salinity challenges and maximizing the medicinal and aromatic plants' potential under salt stress. This review underscores the importance of studying salt stress tolerance mechanisms in medicinal and aromatic plants to contribute to sustainable agricultural practices and the advancement of the pharmaceutical industry.