Brassinosteroids: An effective steroidal plant hormone in amelioration of nickel stress

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroidal plant growth-promoting hormones occur ubiquitously in the plant kingdom. These plant steroids are essential regulators of a variety of physiological processes including organ elongation, vascular differentiation, male fertility, timing of senescence, and leaf development. BRs also regulate the expression of hundreds of genes, impact the activity of numerous metabolic pathways, and also help to control overall developmental programs leading to morphogenesis. In the recent years, studies have indicated that BRs could be exploited for conferring tolerance against various abiotic stresses, nevertheless, the high production cost of these natural plant steroids has hampered initiatives for their wide commercial use. This monograph gives an insight that how BRs could be used and which analogue is most effective to ameliorate the toxicity generated by nickel stress. This work will also facilitate a ready reference on current subject matter to the students as well as researchers alike.