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This book sheds new light on the role of various environmental factors in regulating the metabolic adaptation of medicinal and aromatic plants. Many of the chapters present cutting-edge findings on the contamination of medicinal plants through horizontal transfer, as well as nanomaterials and the biosynthesis of pharmacologically active compounds. In addition, the book highlights the impacts of environmental factors (e.g., high and low temperature, climate change, global warming, UV irradiation, intense sunlight and shade, ozone, carbon dioxide, drought, salinity, nutrient deficiency, agrochemicals, waste, heavy metals, nanomaterials, weeds, pests and pathogen infections) on medicinal and aromatic plants, emphasizing secondary metabolisms.

In recent years, interest has grown in the use of bioactive compounds from natural sources. Medicinal and aromatic plants constitute an important part of the natural environment and agro-ecosystems, and contain a wealth of chemical compounds known as secondary metabolites and including alkaloids, glycosides, essential oils and other miscellaneous active substances. These metabolites help plants cope with environmental and/or external stimuli in a rapid, reversible and ecologically meaningful manner. Additionally, environmental factors play a crucial role in regulating the metabolic yield of these biologically active molecules. Understanding how medicinal plants respond to environmental perturbations and climate change could open new frontiers in plant production and in agriculture, where successive innovation is urgently needed due to the looming challenges in connection with global food security and climate change. Readers will discover a range of revealing perspectives and the latest research on this vital topic.

Medicinal Plants and Environmental Challenges

Importance of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the Life of Human and Environmental Ecosystems.- Introduction to Environmental Challenges all over the World.- Rarity of Endemic Medicinal Plants and Role of Herbaria for their Conservation against Environmental Challenges.- Metabolic Responses of Medicinal Plants to Global Warming, Temperature and Heat Stress.- Toxic Gases, Ozone, Carbon Dioxide, and Waste Effects on the Production of Secondary Plant Metabolites.- Plant Secondary Metabolites and Some Plant Growth Regulators Elicited by UV Irradiation, Light and/or Shade.- Effect of Climate Change on Algae: A valuable Source of Medicinal Natural Compounds.- Metabolic and Hormonal Responses of Plants to Cold Stress.- The Impact of Drought Stress on the Quality of Spice and Medicinal Plants.- Effects of Salinity Stress on Growth and Physiology of Medicinal Plants.- Heavy Metals Contaminated Soils Effects on Secondary Metabolites Production, Oxidative Status and Phytoextraction Potentials of Medicinal Plants.- Horizontal Natural Product Transfer: A so far Unconsidered Source of Contamination of Medicinal Plants.- Strategies for Enhancing Artemisinin Production in Artemisia annuaunder Changing Environment.- Response of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Natural and Manufactured Nanosacel Materials.- Influences of Agrochemicals, Seasonality and Good Agricultural Practices on some Phytochemical of Medicinal Plants.- Introduction to Infectious Medicinal Plants Diseases: Identification and Management.- Weed and Weeding Effects on Medicinal Plants.- The Insect Pests of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.- Biotechnological Production of Essential oils against Aedesaegypti L..- Adaptation Strategies and Defense Mechanisms of Plants to Environmental Stresses.- Metabolic Adaptation of Tea (Camellia sinensis) to Environmental Perturbations.- Genomic Approaches towards Development of Climate Resilient Medicinal Plants.