velopment, and metabolic processes of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). These plants are highly valued for their secondary metabolites, which have extensive appli cations in medicine, cosmetics, and the food industry. Salinity disrupts key physiologi­cal functions, including photosynthesis, water relations, and nutrient balance, while inducing oxidative stress and altering metabolite production. Despite these chal lenges, MAPs exhibit remarkable physiological, biochemical, and molecular adaptive mechanisms, such as osmotic adjustment, ion homeostasis, antioxidant defenses, and regulation of stress-responsive genes. This chapter provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of salinity on MAPs, highlighting changes in growth metrics, photosyn thesis, and secondary metabolite production. It delves into molecular mechanisms that enable salt tolerance, such as the SOS pathway, ion transporters, and transcrip tion factors. Furthermore, the chapter explores strategies to enhance salt resilience in MAPs, including the use of plant growth regulators, beneficial microorganisms, ge netic engineering, and agronomic practices like mulching and silicon supplementa­tion. The integration of advanced biotechnological tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9 and omics approaches, is also discussed to optimize salt tolerance and metabolite produc tion. By leveraging these insights, sustainable solutions for MAP cultivation in saline environments can be achieved, ensuring the continued economic and therapeutic sig nificance of these plants.

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