Alleviating adverse effects of environmental stress in plants through chitosan application

Chitosan encourages the growth of plants, controls their metabolic processes and homeostasis, and activates their defence mechanisms. On one side, it hinders the ability of pathogens by preventing their growth and limiting their reproduction, so it will become a more common and ideal asset for agricultural sustainability. Additionally, cesium (Cs) stimulated the SOS1 pathway and raised a number of gene transcripts related to energy generation, phenol metabolism, proton motive force, salt compartmentalization, and other processes. However, plants exposed to salt stress were treated with cesium nanoparticles (CsNPs) and modified CsBMs, which boosted indole terpene alkaloid metabolism, defense-related genes, decreased ROS formation by boosting jasmonic acid (JA) signalling, increased essential oil, anthocyanins, membrane stability, alkaloids, and diterpene glycosides. This is the first review that specifically compares Cs/CsNPs/modified CsBMs treatment options under salt stress and offers insights about the biological and biochemical parameters of the plants. It also recommends using CsNPs and modified CsBMs rather than Cs for better plant function under salinity stress.