Antioxidant Pathways in Plants: Recent Advances in Biotechnology Applications

Abstract

The rapid generation of reactive oxygen species has contributed to oxidative stress in plants both in the course of normal plant metabolism and under conditions of stress exposure. Enzymatic antioxidants and non enzymatic antioxidants have created a balance that has regulated the destruction in addition to supporting redox signalling. Recently, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and network analysis have made it possible to exert deeper control of pathways. Simultaneously, biotechnology tools have been applied to enhance stress tolerance, yield stability and nutritional quality through modification of important antioxidant genes and regulators. Genome editing applications have been used to alter biosynthetic pathways, transcription factors and signalling. Metabolic engineering has been used to enhance protective flavonoids, anthocyanin and other phenolics that have facilitated antioxidant buffering of the plant and adaptation to stress. Linked antioxidants like melatonins have been researched as stress regulators and the concerned biosynthesis and signalling pathway has been mapped in crops to enhance crop. Core antioxidant pathways in this review have been summarised and the latest biotechnology applications have been synthesised in gene editing, omics guided target discovery as well as precision regulation strategies. Applied performance has been brought out in drought, salinity, heat, cold, flooding and heavy metal stress environments. Significant weaknesses have been noted which consist of traits trade offs, off target editing risk, genotype dependence, and field level variability. Recommendations on future directions have already been offered such as multi gene editing, cell type specific control, predictive modelling and integrated breeding pipelines which has integrated edited alleles and quantitative selection.