Dear Colleagues,

Plants produce a large number of secondary metabolites, which play a crucial role in important processes related to the plant fitness. These compounds can essentially be divided into three main groups based on their structure and their metabolic biosynthetic pathway: phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and nitrogen-containing compounds, i.e., alkaloids and glucosinolates. Increasing evidence has accumulated over the last few decades on the involvement of secondary metabolites in the plant adaptation to the changing environment and abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, high and low temperatures, heavy metals, etc. However, much still needs to be investigated on this subject. In this context, the purpose of this Special Issue is to collect the recent studies on the physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying the role of secondary metabolites in counteracting the deleterious effects of abiotic stresses on plant growth and productivity. The information provided here will be useful for future investigations on the manipulation of the biosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites in plants and for the breeding programs aimed at enahncing the abiotic stress tolerance of plants and ensuring sustainable crop production under a changing climate.

Dr. Daniela Trono
Guest Editor

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• plant secondary metabolites
• abiotic stresses
• climatate changes
• phenolics
• terpenoids
• alkaloids
• glucosinolates
• drought
• salinity
• light
• temperature
• heavy metals