6 - Nanomaterials as novel elicitors of plant secondary metabolites

Abstract

The secondary metabolism of plants is fundamental, the secondary metabolites produced by plants are responsible for tolerance to different types of biotic and abiotic stresses. Secondary metabolites participate in several functions in the plant, either as defense compounds against pathogens or as compounds for tolerance to drought or high temperatures, salinity, etc. The production of secondary metabolites is directly related to the environmental conditions in which the plants develop. Therefore the production of these metabolites can be stimulated by different stress conditions. In this context, nanomaterials (NMs) can also stimulate the production of secondary metabolites, and they can be considered elicitors. NMs can enter the plant and interact with tissues, cells, and organelles. It is proposed that this interaction is induced, either by the production of reactive oxygen species or by the modification of gene expression. In any case, the result is the activation of the secondary metabolism, as well as the production and accumulation of secondary metabolites. This chapter describes the use of NMs as elicitors of secondary metabolites in plants. The interaction of NMs from their entry into the plant, until they are inside the cell, and the main pathways through which it induces stimulation are explained. Moreover, the evidence of the functioning of NMs as elicitors in different plant species is also discussed.