Phytohormones and Plant Growth Regulators - A Review

In plants, diverse physiological processes of adaptation and survival are a result of varied and complex processes of chemical and physical reactions, mediated by chemical compounds called plant hormones.Within this group of chemical substances are the "classical phytohormones" like Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinins, Ethylene, Abscisic acid; but also, signaling molecules including Brassinosteroids, Jasmonic acid, Salicylic acid, Strigolactones, Systemin Peptides and Nitric Oxide, among other, and which are functionally analogous to plant hormones, play an important role in agricultural activities.In agriculture, plant growth regulators can promote crop development and their productivity, stimulate rooting cuttings, breaking dormancy in fruits, promote flowering, accelerate or delayed ripening, control plant development, increase ramification, suppress shoot growth; but also, due to their origin, structural richness and their natural influence on biological processes, the knowledge of these biochemical entities and their properties are a promising alternative to advance in the development of more sustainable strategies for the production of food, goods and services.The aim of this review is to provide a conceptual platform, functionality, and potential uses of plant hormones in different technological fields, including agriculture, medicine, biotechnology, and food industry, as well as the different biosynthesis routes defined so far.