Osmoprotectors

The term osmoprotective effect refers to a series of responses activated by plants when subjected to water stress in order to protect themselves from dehydration.

In summary, at the cellular level, when the amount of water in the environment decreases, there is a flow of water from the cytoplasm to the outside of the membrane, causing a loss of turgor in the tissues and a reduction in the cell’s photosynthetic rate. The plant begins to synthesize substances that compensate for the solute concentration in the cytoplasm relative to that in the external environment, preventing excessive water loss from the cells.