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• Salinity in arable land is becoming major issue in world. • Foliar application of MLE ameliorated effects of salinity. • MLE in stressed plants c enhanced POD,SOD, GB and TSS. • MLE revealed potential as biostimulant for plants. We evaluated role of exogenous application of moringa leaf extract (MLE) in ameliorating perturbations caused by salinity (200 mM) in some physiological, biochemical and anatomical parameters of two canola varieties i.e. Super (V 1) and Punjab (V 2). Data analysis revealed significant interaction between salinity and plant attributes while MLE ameliorated effects of salinity. Both varieties exhibited an increase in shoot fresh (57%, 53%) and dry weights (37%, 19%) respectively after foliar application of MLE under salinity. In V1, particularly, this incremented growth corresponded to increase in Chl-a (33.53%), Chl-b (36.79%) under foliar application of MLE. The results presented that post MLE application in stressed plants caused comparative enhancement in H 2 O 2 , MDA, GB and TSS in both varieties but in V 1 it was particularly high (27%, 46%, 12%, 13%, respectively) when compared over control. On the other hand, TFAA (31.22%), proline (83.12%), proteins (106%), POD (81.17%), catalase (27.45%), H 2 O 2 (25.47%) and ascorbic acid (74.27%) were also boosted after MLE application in comparison with control. MLE caused a significant enhancement in leaf and stem anatomical characteristics in both varieties compared to control. Although increase was observed after MLE application but V 1 responded more strongly than V 2. Differential behavior of both varieties to MLE revealed potential of it as biostimulant for plants facing salinity. Overall, variance in photosynthetic pigments, osmoprotectants, antioxidants and changes in anatomical characteristics of leaf and stem due to MLE in V 1 and V 2 contributed in salinity tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]