Melatonin Enhances Antioxidant Defense Systems and Stress Tolerance in Plants under Variable Environmental Conditions.

ABSTRACT: Melatonin (Mel), a multifunctional molecule, has emerged as a pivotal regulator of plant stress responses, enhancing antioxidant defenses, and modulating metabolic pathways. This meta-analysis evaluated the role of Mel in mitigating various abiotic stresses, including salinity, drought, heavy metals, light intensity, and humidity, across diverse experimental conditions in rice crop. The findings reveal significant improvements in enzymatic antioxidant activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), with notable increases in POD (77%) and CAT (61%) activities under hydroponic application. Mel application reduced oxidative stress markers, such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA), by up to

SUBMITTER: Muhammad I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12279687 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature