Rice, the most important staple food for over half of the global population, faces a major threat from blast disease caused by Pyricularia oryzae (teleomorph Magnaporthe oryzae). This ascomycete filamentous fungus significantly impacts global rice production and food security (Islam et al., 2023), leading to 10–30% yield losses (Dean et al., 2012), with severe outbreaks causing up to 50% crop loss (Scheuermann et al., 2012; Nalley et al., 2016). P. oryzae infects various parts of rice plants (leaves, stems, nodes, and panicles), causing widespread damage. Different lineages are able to infect also other important cereal crops like millet, barley, and wheat (Wilson, 2021). Of particular global concern is the P. oryzae pathotype Triticum, which causes wheat blast—a devastating disease that impacts wheat, another major staple crop (Castroagudin et al., 2016). Wheat blast has already led to significant crop losses in South America and South Asia, with the potential to spread further. This pathotype poses a serious threat to global food security due to its adaptability and resistance to common fungicides (Cruz and Valent, 2017; Ceresini et al., 2018). Ongoing research focuses on early detection methods, molecular markers for specific pathotype identification, and the development of resistant wheat varieties to mitigate the impact of this dangerous pathogen (Ikeda et al., 2024).

The economic impact of blast is substantial, with annual damage estimated at $70 billion (Scheuermann et al., 2012; Valent, 2021). Despite ongoing research, effective long-term solutions remain elusive, and climate change alongside with increasing pathogen resistance urge for innovative management approaches (Singh and Maurya, 2021; Singh et al., 2023).

Recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of P. oryzae have revealed the role of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent regulated cell death, in the infection process (Shen et al., 2020). Characterized by lipid peroxide and iron-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, ferroptosis is crucial for the development of infection structures and disease progression (Kou et al., 2019; Shen et al., 2020, 2023). Evidence suggests that iron and lipid peroxidation are necessary for ferroptosis spread, and involve a signal that propagates upstream of cell rupture (Riegman et al., 2020). This discovery has prompted research into antioxidants as a novel disease control strategy. Antioxidants have demonstrated the ability to suppress ferroptosis in various biological systems (Ge et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2021; Rizzardi et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2024), sparking interest in their potential to interrupt the infection cycle of P. oryzae and enhance rice plant resistance (Liu and Zhang, 2022).

This mini review summarizes current knowledge of ferroptosis in pathogenesis of P. oryzae and the potential of antioxidants in suppressing this process. Our focus is specifically on antioxidant-based approaches to suppress ferroptosis in P. oryzae, rather than strategies such as biological control, breeding for resistant cultivars, or genetic engineering. We examine recent advances, discuss antioxidant interventions, and explore implications for sustainable management of rice blast. We also highlight controversies, identify research gaps, and propose future directions, aiming to provide a concise overview of how targeting ferroptosis through antioxidant strategies could contribute to more effective and environmentally friendly approaches to manage rice blast disease, supporting global food security and sustainable agriculture.

The hallmarks of ferroptosis in P. oryzae are the accumulation of lipid peroxides, elevated levels of intracellular ferric iron (Fe ³⁺), and the consequent generation of ROS (Liu et al., 2024). Researchers have identified key players in this process, highlighting the critical role of iron metabolism regulated by the transcription factor Fep1 (Kou et al., 2019; Liu and Zhang, 2022). Abdul et al. (2018) showed that cell death is characterized by membrane damage caused by the accumulation of lipid peroxides to lethal concentrations due to the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane phospholipids, which is essential for ferroptotic cell death, underlining the importance of membrane integrity. Recent research has also highlighted the role of calcium signaling with high Ca²⁺ levels in ROS-dependent cell death due to an imbalance in cellular redox status, such as in ferroptosis (Molina-Hernandez et al., 2022).

In P. oryzae, ROS regulation plays important roles in both development and virulence. ROS generation has been linked to the NADPH oxidase (NOX) complex. A pioneering work by Egan et al. (2007) showed that NOX1 and NOX2 are important sources of ROS during appressorium development and ferroptosis, thus representing potential targets for possible control strategies.

Shen and colleagues (Shen et al., 2020; Shen and Naqvi, 2021; Shen et al., 2023; Shen and Naqvi, 2024) have shown that ferroptosis is essential for appressorium maturation, successful rice cell penetration, and rice tissue colonization. Modulating ferroptosis can significantly affect the virulence of P. oryzae, suggesting potential disease control avenues.

Despite these advances, controversy remains. Stockwell et al. (2017) highlighted the need for precise molecular markers to differentiate ferroptosis from other cell death forms. The role of ferroptosis in P. oryzae strains infecting non-rice hosts is still largely unexplored (Shen and Naqvi, 2024).

Environmental influences on ferroptosis represent another area of uncertainty. Studies have questioned how temperature (Onaga et al., 2017), humidity (Qiu et al., 2022), and drought stress (Bidzinski et al., 2016) might influence the pathogenic process and virulence under changing climatic conditions. However, the direct effects of these factors on ferroptosis in P. oryzae are not yet fully understood.

Natural and synthetic compounds have shown effectiveness in modulating ferroptosis, offering promising possibilities for controlling P. oryzae infections (Sies et al., 2017). While the role of ferroptosis in P. oryzae pathogenicity has been established (Shen et al., 2020), the specific effects of inhibitory compounds—whether natural, nature-inspired, or synthetic—on this cell death pathway remain under investigation. Figure 1 illustrates the key molecular components involved and highlights potential intervention targets. Natural antioxidants, particularly glutathione and (poly)phenolics (PCs), along with nature-inspired and synthetic inhibitors, have emerged as promising agents for suppressing this pathogenic process in P. oryzae.

The use of antioxidants to manage rice blast disease has a significant impact on global nutrition and food security. Rice provides essential nutrients for billions of people, especially in developing countries (Muthayya et al., 2014). Ensuring sustainable rice production and minimizing yield losses due to diseases such as rice blast are critical to preventing hunger and malnutrition worldwide (Nalley et al., 2016).

Agronomical approaches to enhance endogenous antioxidant levels in rice could provide dual benefits for both disease resistance and nutritional value. For GSH content, studies have shown that appropriate timing of nitrogen fertilization and water management practices can optimize GSH biosynthesis pathways and maintain cellular redox homeostasis through regulation of the GSH/GSSG ratio (Hasanuzzaman et al., 2017; Cimini et al., 2022). For PCs, several agronomical practices have been shown to modulate their accumulation in rice. For example, targeted stress conditions during grain development can enhance phenylpropanoid pathway activity and the resulting PC content (Yang et al., 2024). These agronomic interventions could be integrated with new approaches based on natural antioxidants, such as flavonoids like tangeretin which effectively inhibits fungal ferroptosis (Liang et al., 2021), into existing rice cultivation systems to enhance both disease resistance and nutritional value of rice crops (Pang et al., 2018).

Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that consumption of pigmented rice, particularly rich in PCs, mainly ferulic acid and anthocyanins, can improve antioxidant status (Mendoza-Sarmiento et al., 2023), while dietary supplements like curcumin can enhance plasma GSH levels, leading to improved cardiometabolic health through reduced oxidative stress and inflammation (Dludla et al., 2023).

While antioxidants show great promise in suppressing ferroptosis in P. oryzae, several challenges remain. The specificity of antifungal action, potential off-target effects, and the development of fungal resistance are concerns that need to be addressed (Fisher et al., 2018). Moreover, the translation of laboratory findings to field applications presents logistical and regulatory hurdles (Hollomon, 2015). Future research should focus on identifying natural antioxidants that can effectively suppress ferroptosis in P. oryzae while being safe and bioavailable for human consumption (Goufo and Trindade, 2017), including optimizing delivery methods and exploring synergistic combinations with other antifungals. Investigating the potential of enhancing endogenous antioxidant systems in rice plants represents an exciting avenue for increasing resistance to P. oryzae infection (Yang et al., 2024). Additionally, research should explore how chitin-derived signals from fungal cell walls, which act as defense elicitors in rice (Kaku et al., 2006), might interact with iron and ROS-dependent pathways during P. oryzae infection. This multifaceted approach requires interdisciplinary collaboration among plant pathologists, nutritionists, agronomists, and food scientists to fully realize the potential of antioxidant-based strategies in both rice blast control and nutrition enhancement.

The rice blast disease, caused by P. oryzae, remains a significant threat to global rice production and food security. This mini review has explored the promising strategy of using antioxidants to suppress ferroptosis in P. oryzae for controlling this devastating disease. Recent discoveries, such as the efficacy of tangeretin in inhibiting fungal ferroptosis, highlight the potential of natural and nature-inspired compounds in rice blast management. These findings offer alternatives to traditional fungicides and opportunities to enhance rice’s nutritional value through antioxidant enrichment.

Antioxidant-based approaches present several advantages, including improved safety and environmental friendliness compared to synthetic fungicides. However, challenges remain in optimizing delivery methods, addressing potential resistance, and ensuring efficacy in diverse conditions. Future research should focus on identifying effective antioxidant compounds, exploring synergistic combinations, and developing sustainable application methods. From a nutritional perspective, this approach offers possibilities for enhancing both rice resilience and its nutritional quality.