A review of ascorbic acid potentialities against oxidative stress induced in plants

Abstract

Ascorbic acid (AA) currently holds a significant position in plant physiology, mainly due to its possession of antioxidant and cellular reductant etc.properties and its diverse roles in plant growth and development and the regulation of a broad spectrum of plant cellular mechanisms against environmental stresses. Some researchers suggest that endogenous AA has been implicated in the promotion of plant growth and development by involvement in a complex and enigmatic array of phytohormone-regulated signalling networks that ties together different environmental stresses. As it is evident from the present review, recent progress on AA potentiality in the tolerance of plants to environmental stresses has been impressive. Indeed, AA plays an important role in resistance to oxidative stresses such as heavy metal, saline, ultra-violet etc. Rapidly increasing evidence indicates that AA is centrally involved in several physiological processes but there has been much disagreement regarding the mechanism(s) by which AA reduces the damaging effects of such stresses in plants. Perhaps the role of AA in mediating tolerance to abiotic stress (e.g. UV, salinity and temperature, etc.) will lead to a greater research focus in the near future. In addition, AA might provide a suitably attractive target for the enhancement of crop production.