Anthocyanins in action: physiological, biochemical, and molecular strategies for mitigating climatic stress in eco-friendly crop production.

Climate change has imposed severe abiotic stresses, such as high temperatures, drought, salinity, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, on crops, posing a serious threat to global food security. In this context, anthocyanins, a class of water-soluble pigments from the flavonoid family, have emerged as multifunctional compounds critical for eco-friendly crop resilience. These pigments help plants mitigate oxidative damage, maintain photosynthetic efficiency, and adapt to harsh environmental cues. The biosynthesis of anthocyanins is regulated by complex genetic and biochemical pathways that respond dynamically to environmental stress signals, particularly those related to abiotic stress conditions. Recent advances in genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)-Cas systems, along with metabolic engineering, have opened new avenues to modulate anthocyanin biosynthesis, thereby enhancing plant tolerance to climate-induced stresses. However, to fully harness their potential, targeted innovations in anthocyanin-based genetic engineering, metabolic optimization, and breeding strategies are essential for promoting crop improvement and ensuring sustainable agriculture. This review highlights the protective functions of anthocyanins, including their roles as antioxidants, metal chelators, and signalling molecules, while also emphasising the complex transcriptional, hormonal, and epigenetic controls of their biosynthesis. By integrating anthocyanin-focused biotechnology and breeding tools, this work offers a roadmap for developing stress-resilient, climate-smart crops, strengthening global food security amid environmental change.