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Updated: Jul 1, 2026
11:01
Monitoring Plant Hormones During Stress Responses
Published on: June 15, 2009
Hormesis and plant biology
Edward J Calabrese1, Robyn B Blain
1Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Sciences Division, Pleasant Street, Morrill I, N344, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. edwardc@schoolph.umass.edu
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
|September 16, 2008
Summary
A new database confirms hormesis, a beneficial low-dose effect, is common in plants. This finding, based on over 3000 plant endpoints, shows dose-response patterns similar to animals.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Hormesis describes a biphasic dose-response where low doses stimulate and high doses inhibit biological processes.
- Understanding hormetic effects is crucial for environmental risk assessment and understanding biological regulation.
- Previous research has documented hormesis in animals, but comprehensive data in plants was lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a database of experimental evidence for hormesis across various biological models, with a focus on plants.
- To assess the prevalence and quantitative features of hormetic dose responses in plants.
- To compare plant hormetic responses with those observed in animals.
Main Methods:
- Compilation of a database including study design, dose-response data, and agent properties for hormesis.
- Analysis of over 3000 plant endpoints from diverse studies to identify hormetic dose responses.
- Quantitative characterization of plant hormetic dose-response curves, including stimulation magnitude and dose range.
Main Results:
- The database demonstrates widespread experimental evidence of hormesis across numerous biological models, including plants.
- Over 3000 plant endpoints exhibited hormetic dose responses, covering disease incidence, reproduction, metabolism, development, and growth.
- Quantitative analysis revealed typical plant hormetic responses show <2-fold stimulation and a <10-fold dose range.
Conclusions:
- Hormetic dose responses are a common and broadly generalizable phenomenon in plants.
- The quantitative characteristics of plant hormesis are similar to those observed in animal models.
- The developed database provides a valuable resource for studying hormesis in plants and its ecological implications.
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