Effect of antioxidants in promoting plant growth under climate change conditions

Climatic changes significantly affect the growth of agricultural crops, either directly or indirectly and consequently leads to reduction in their productivity. Environmental stresses caused by climate change including temperature stress, intense light, ultraviolet radiation (UV), salt stress, cold/heat treatments, drought stress and herbicides have shown to increase the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production, which cause severe damage to plant cells. The impact of climate change has become more acute on plant production; therefore, we need to focus on what we can do to mitigate the damage from climate change and give plants some ability to withstand environmental conditions that are not appropriate for their normal growth. In this concern, antioxidants have synergistic effects on growth and productivity of many species of plant. Antioxidant compounds consist of non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants which work together to detoxify ROS. Antioxidants are the natural and safety compounds which inhibit oxidation that can produce free radicals. Foliar application with antioxidants helps agricultural crops to resist environmental stresses and restore their capacity, thus obtaining the highest possible yield.