Melatonin in business with abiotic stresses in vegetable crops

Abstract

Vegetable crops are very important to the agriculture sector since they are the primary source of many of the vitamins and minerals that are required for a balanced diet. In contrast, vegetable production is frequently vulnerable to abiotic stresses such as heavy metals, salinity, cold, heat, and drought stress, which can have a negative impact on yield and quality. Recently, melatonin (MEL) has been identified as a universal plant growth regulator. MEL is a multifunctional, nontoxic, and universal bioactive molecule with low molecular weight. MEL regulate plant growth, protected photosynthetic system, delayed in leaf senescence, promoting root system architecture, maintain ion homeostasis, upregulated antioxidant enzyme pool, increased osmolytes accumulation, and balanced redox homeostasis. MEL also plays an important role in the alleviation of abiotic stress in vegetable crops. Furthermore, MEL restricted heavy metals accumulation and increased mineral nutrient accumulation in many vegetables crops. This study aims to provide a concise overview of the possible impact of MEL on enhancing the resilience of vegetable crop to abiotic stresses.