ABSTRACT
Environmental pollution is increasing day by day due to industrialization, urbanization, and modernization. We are facing threats from various types of pollution which are altering the chemical, physical, and biological parameters of air, water, and soil. The World Health Organization reported that seven million people die each year due to air pollution. Ozone in the atmosphere is good as it protects life from harmful UV rays. On the other hand, it has been noticed that exposure to high ozone levels causes several health issues such as lung inflammation, sore throat, and respiratory problems in human beings. Not only humans but also animals face negative health issues, such as skin and neurological problems. In plants, it damages stomatal functions, and also hampers several metabolic and physiological processes. Quite often, it has been observed that high tropospheric ozone disrupts plant cellular organelles leading to impaired photosynthesis and eventually significant yield reduction. Prolonged ozone exposure causes irreversible oxidative damage to plants and decreases the overall yield performance. Further, several medicinal and other plants possess secondary metabolites which are important for the defence mechanism against pathogenic attacks and environmental stresses. Secondary metabolites are equally important for herbal drug formulation and preparation. Chapter 2 emphasizes the impact of ozone stress on medicinal plant growth, development, and reproductive processes. The chapter also describes the impact of ozone on natural products of medicinal plants.
