Maize phytochemicals in stressful environments: impacts and adaptation
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important cereal crop and a major source of nutrients and bioactive phytochemicals that contribute to food security, human health, and industrial applications. However, increasing environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, heavy metal contamination, nutrient deficiency, and pathogen attacks, adversely affect maize growth, productivity, and phytochemical composition. In response to these challenges, maize activates intricate adaptive mechanisms involving signaling cascades, transcriptional regulation, metabolic reprogramming, hormonal and reactive oxygen species (ROS) crosstalk, epigenetic regulation, stress-memory mechanisms, gene alteration, and diverse biochemical responses. Stress perception initiates intracellular signaling networks that activate transcription factors regulating stress-responsive genes and metabolic pathways. These processes promote the accumulation of protective phytochemicals, osmolytes, antioxidants, and defense-related metabolites that mitigate oxidative damage and maintain cellular homeostasis. Hormonal interactions with ROS coordinate growth-defense trade-offs, while epigenetic modifications and stress memory enhance tolerance to recurrent environmental stresses. Gene alterations through natural variation, molecular breeding, and genome editing further strengthen stress resilience by improving physiological and biochemical performance. Collectively, these adaptive mechanisms preserve the synthesis and beneficial utilization of maize phytochemicals, including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phytosterols, and terpenoids, which possess significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and industrial value. Understanding the integration of these molecular, physiological, and biochemical processes provides a foundation for developing climate-resilient maize cultivars with enhanced phytochemical quality, improved stress tolerance, and sustainable productivity under changing environmental conditions.
Related
- Agronomic Performance of Microbial Inoculation Strategies in Soybean, Maize and Wheat Across Contrasting Environments
- Baseline growth rate shapes pollutant impacts in aquatic environments: Evidence from antibiotic responses in the harmful cyanobacterium Microcystis
- An open field phenomics resource for multimodal maize yield prediction across divergent environments
- Seasonal rainfall impacts the relative performance of maize-legume intercropping systems in semi-arid Zimbabwe
- Comparative Study on Photoinhibition Characteristics and Adaptation Mechanisms of New Current-Year Needles of Pinus densiflora var. zhangwuensis and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in Sandy Land Environments
BibTeX
@article{anani2026maize,
title = {{Maize phytochemicals in stressful environments: impacts and adaptation}},
author = {Osikemekha Anthony Anani and Peter Mudiaga Etaware and Uduenevwo Francis Evuen and Wisdom Oghenevwogaga Egboduku and Osayomwanbo Osarenotor and Kasim Sakran Abass},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1889001},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1889001},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Maize phytochemicals in stressful environments: impacts and adaptation
AU - Osikemekha Anthony Anani
AU - Peter Mudiaga Etaware
AU - Uduenevwo Francis Evuen
AU - Wisdom Oghenevwogaga Egboduku
AU - Osayomwanbo Osarenotor
AU - Kasim Sakran Abass
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1889001
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1889001
AB - Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important cereal crop and a major source of nutrients and bioactive phytochemicals that contribute to food security, human health, and industrial applications. However, increasing environmental stresses, including drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, heavy metal contamination, nutrient deficiency, and pathogen attacks, adversely affect maize growth, productivity, and phytochemical composition. In response to these challenges, maize activates intricate adaptive mechanisms involving signaling cascades, transcriptional regulation, metabolic reprogramming, hormonal and reactive oxygen species (ROS) crosstalk, epigenetic regulation, stress-memory mechanisms, gene alteration, and diverse biochemical responses. Stress perception initiates intracellular signaling networks that activate transcription factors regulating stress-responsive genes and metabolic pathways. These processes promote the accumulation of protective phytochemicals, osmolytes, antioxidants, and defense-related metabolites that mitigate oxidative damage and maintain cellular homeostasis. Hormonal interactions with ROS coordinate growth-defense trade-offs, while epigenetic modifications and stress memory enhance tolerance to recurrent environmental stresses. Gene alterations through natural variation, molecular breeding, and genome editing further strengthen stress resilience by improving physiological and biochemical performance. Collectively, these adaptive mechanisms preserve the synthesis and beneficial utilization of maize phytochemicals, including phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phytosterols, and terpenoids, which possess significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and industrial value. Understanding the integration of these molecular, physiological, and biochemical processes provides a foundation for developing climate-resilient maize cultivars with enhanced phytochemical quality, improved stress tolerance, and sustainable productivity under changing environmental conditions.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -