Fig. 1.

In their natural and in vitro growth conditions, plants encounter variety of stresses and biotic disturbances which leads to the initiation of stress and defense responses mediated by signaling processes and pathways involving repertoire of molecules to perform cellular functions essential for physiological processes. The physiological processes impact primary metabolism that provides biosynthetic intermediates for secondary metabolism, with concomitant effect on biomass and bioactive compounds biosynthesis. This generally depends on the species, genotype and cultivar as well as the stage of development and physiological state of the plant investigated