Özyazıcı, GülenValizadeh, Negar2026-03-142026-03-142025978-311146971-3978-311146866-2https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111469713-005https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12604/9241Today, medicinal plants have a wide range of uses not only in the field of health but also in different sectors such as perfumery, cosmetics, food industry and phytotherapy. In addition to their potential to treat diseases, these plants are also valued for their contributions to different industries. Medicinal plants with various phytochemical compounds such as secondary metabolites, for example, alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, steroids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, volatile oils and aromatic compounds are exposed to abiotic stress such as drought. Drought, one of the abiotic factors, causes a decrease in plant height, plant leaf area, number, and such other decreases, thus not only changing the plant structurally and anatomically, but also leading to fluctuations in its chemical components. The quality and quantity of the components of secondary metabolites synthesized by the plant help to cope with the harmful effects of stress for adaptation and defense. Numerous studies have shown that drought affects the accumulation of secondary metabolites in different organs of the plant and causes an increase or decrease in different plant species and even in different species of the same genus. Since the main aim in medicinal plants is not only to increase the yield of seeds, leaves, and flowers but also to increase the production of active ingredients such as essential oils, the cultivation and management of medicinal plants under stress conditions is different from other crops. This study provides a summary of recent literature covering the studies on the morphology, physiology, and biochemistry of medicinal and aromatic plants under drought stress. © 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston, Genthiner Straße 13, 10785 Berlin.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessDrought StressEssential OilMorphologyPlant PhysiologyPlant Secondary MetabolitesWater DeficitBook Chapter199228N/A2-s2.0-10502464408210.1515/9783111469713-005