Herbicides and its role in Induction of Oxidative Stress- A Review

Herbicides are one of the most extensively used classes of pesticides, which provide a convenient, economical and effective way to manage weeds. However the regular and endless use of herbicides affects environmental, ecological, and human health. Herbicides can be classified in several ways but the most common method of classifying herbicides is by their mode of action and target site. Several stress events generated upon the herbicide action can lead to oxidative dis-balance in various non-target species. Most of the perturbations caused by herbicide treatment in plants are related to ROS generation. Overproduction and accumulation of ROS result in metabolic disorders and can lead to oxidative destruction of the cell. This review provides a brief overview of alterations in enzymatic antioxidants on exposure to different herbicides in various experimental models.