MINI REVIEW article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Abiotic Stress
This article is part of the Research TopicNanoparticles as Catalysts for Enhanced Photosynthesis and Plant Stress ResilienceView all articles
A Mini-Review on Nanotechnology-Enabled Plant Adaptations under Climate Change
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Biological Sciences Thal Univeristy Bhakkar, Bhakkar, 30000, Punjab, Pakistan, Bhakkkar, Pakistan
- 2Dr. Patricio R. De los Rios-Escalante Departamento de CienciasBiologicas y Químicas, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Catolica de Temuco, Casilla, 15-D, Temuco, Chile, Temuco, Chile
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Climate change imposes biotic and abiotic stresses that significantly affect plants health. Between 2020 and 2025, studies have reported that climatic stresses have reduced crop yields by up to 70% in various regions. Nearly one billion hectares of land are affected by salinity, while increased atmospheric CO₂ and extreme temperatures alter the biological processes within plants. These stresses enhance Reactive Rxygen Species (ROS) synthesis in plant organelles such as chloroplasts, mitochondria, and peroxisomes, resulting in oxidative injury, membrane disruption, and reduced physiological performance. Recent studies of the last decade suggest that nanotechnology plays a critical role in plant growth and development under these climatic stresses. Nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters below 100 nm can penetrate plant tissues via root absorption and stomatal conductance, thereby improving nutrients and minerals acquisition through roots and leaves, boosting the performance of photosynthesis, and water-use efficiency. They also support the cellular defense mechanism and maintain internal homeostasis under climatic stress by regulating ROS levels, activating antioxidant enzymes, and inducing stress-responsive genes. Various NPs, such as ZnO, SiO₂, and AgNPs, have been used to mitigate climatic stresses in various crops. Transformations of various NPs occur through the interaction between NPs and plants. Transformations of NPs play a dual role in agriculture, both positive and negative. Although NPs boost plant growth, several research gaps exist regarding transport, capture, absorption of NPs, and long-term impacts on human health and other organisms. Future research should focus on these aspects to ensure the eco-friendly and large-scale application of NPs.
Keywords: Antioxidant enzymes5, climate change1, nanoparticles2, plant stress3, ROS4, Sustainable Agriculture6
Received: 24 Dec 2025; Accepted: 30 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Hussain, Kabir, Niazi, De Los Rios-Escalante and Noreen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Abid Hussain
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