Role of Compatible Solutes in Alleviating Effect of Abiotic Stress in Plants

Abstract

Plants face assorted of abiotic stresses such as, salinity, drought and heavy metals which produce ROS, and finally inhibit normal growth plant production. To stop cellular destruction due to oxidative stress, these abiotic stresses increase complex reactions in plants to avoid damage and boost their sustainability under severe stress situations. Plants produce several organic solutes known as osmoprotectant such as, polyamines, sugars, proline and glycinebetaine (GB), to adjust the cellular mechanism and stable the membrane structure and proteins towards environmental stress. As well, they also defend the plant cells from oxidative stress by stopping the accumulation of damaging effect of ROS. In this review, we have deliberated the mechanisms of organic solutes as well as several functions in plants under abiotic stress situations. The organic solutes that are also known as osmolytes/osmoprotectants comprise soluble sugars, proline and glycinebetaine.