Medicinal Plants and the Rhizosphere

Manoj Kumar Mishra, Shalini Tiwari

• Publisher: CAB International
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9781836990475
• Subtopic: Biotechnology
• Index: Biological Sciences

Plants cultivate distinct microbial communities in specific parts of their structure, forming microbial habitats that typically originate in the soil and can extend into above-ground internal plant tissues. Consequently, the plant microbiome's composition varies across different compartments, including the rhizosphere (the soil surrounding the roots), the endosphere (the interior of both above- and below-ground plant organs), and the phyllosphere (the above-ground part of the plant). Medicinal plants generally show a higher diversity and abundance of certain types of microbes in the rhizosphere compared to non-medicinal plants, because they produce bioactive compounds as a defence mechanism against pathogens or herbivores. These compounds can also influence the composition and activity of microbial communities in the soil. While the fundamental principles of rhizosphere interactions apply to both medicinal and non-medicinal plants, the specific microbial communities and their functions can vary, reflecting the distinct ecological and evolutionary contexts of medicinal plants and their interactions with microbes. This book focuses on plant- microbe interactions, particularly within the rhizosphere of medicinal plants. It explores the unique microbial communities that form in various plant compartments and their impact on plant health, growth, and the synthesis of bioactive compounds. Medicinal Plants and the Rhizosphere is suitable for researchers in medicinal plants, plant biology, plant biotechnology and microbiology.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Contributors
• Preface: A Comprehensive Understanding of Medicinal Plant Microbiomes
• 1 Microbial Communities in Different Plant Compartments Kumar Shreshtha, Rajat Awasthi, Manoj Kumar Mishra and Neha Verma
• 2 The Rhizosphere: Microbial Diversity and Its Impact on Plants Puthem Robindro Singh, Chongtham Allaylay Devi and Ashutosh K. Pandey
• 3 Exploration of Microbial Diversity in the Internal Tissues of Plants, and Their Interactions with the Plant Shilpy Singh, Varun Kumar Sharma, Pooja Singh, Shraddha Sahu, Renu Verma, Abhishek Awasthi, Ved Vrat Verma and Dharmsheel Shrivastav
• 4 Microbial Communities on the Leaves and Stems of Plants: Their Ecological Roles and Significance Ahmad Mahmood, Waleed Asghar, Md. Tareq Bin Salam, Syeda Irsa Mazhar Kazmi, Muhammad Arshad, Ryota Kataoka and Zhongli Chen
• 5 Deciphering the Rhizosphere Microbiome: Integrating High-throughput Sequencing and Multi-omics Approaches Rajat Awasthi, Roshini Singh, Sanjay Mishra, Pankaj Gupta and Manoj Kumar Mishra
• 6 Biogeochemical Processes Occurring at the Plant Root–Soil Interface, Influenced by Root Activities and Chemicals Released by the Roots Vandana Anand and Udit Yadav
• 7 Chemically Diverse Primary and Secondary Metabolites Released by Plant Roots and Their Bioactive Effects on Microorganisms Ankita Chaubey, Manoj Kumar Mishra and Neha Verma
• 8 Major Organic Compounds Derived from Plant Root Exudates: Sugar, Amino Acids, Organic Acids, Phenolic Compounds, and Secondary Metabolites Samreen Abbas, Saniya Shakir, Pranesh Prabhu, Manoj Kumar Mishra and Neha Verma
• 9 Comparative Analysis of the Microbial Diversity and Abundance in the Rhizosphere of Medicinal and Nonmedicinal Plants Pradeep Kumar, Karishma Kumari, Ankita Yadav, Rajesh Dangal, Sakshi Anand, Zain-Ul Abideen Usmani, Saurabh Gangola, Seyit Uguz, Shalini Tiwari and Xufei Yang
• 10 Exploration of the Unique Microbiomes of Medicinal Plants, Driven by Their Bioactive Secondary Metabolites Varun Kumar Sharma, Pragati Saxena, Shilpy Singh, Abhishek Awasthi, Lomas Kumar Tomar, Ved Vrat Verma and Dharmsheel Shrivastav
• 11 Roles of Endophytes in Medicinal Plants: Synthesis of Bioactive Compounds and Plant Pathogen Resistance Meenu Singh Sengar, Shalini Tiwari and Manoj Kumar Mishra
• 12 Induction of Specific Secondary Metabolite Pathways in Medicinal Plants, Addressing Their Nutritional Needs Archana Prasad, Shiv Rattan and Gauri Saxena
• 13 Role of Soil Microorganisms and Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Synthesis of Bioactive Compounds in Medicinal Plants Rahul Kumar, Sourav Chattaraji, Periyasamy Panneerselvam, Sergio de los Santos Villalobos and Debasis Mitra
• 14 Mechanisms Underlying the Interactions Between Medicinal Plants and Rhizosphere Microorganisms: Reciprocal Influences, Ecological, and Evolutionary Contexts Saniya Shakir, Samreen Abbas, Manoj Kumar Mishra and Neha Verma
• Index
• Back Cover