Abstract
Stilbenes are a small family of polyphenolic secondary metabolites that can be found in several distantly related plant species. These compounds act as phytoalexins, playing a crucial role in plant defense against phytopathogens, as well as being involved in the adaptation of plants to abiotic environmental factors. Among stilbenes, trans-resveratrol is certainly the most popular and extensively studied for its health properties. In recent years, an increasing number of stilbene compounds were subjected to investigations concerning their bioactivity. This review presents the most updated knowledge of the stilbene biosynthetic pathway, also focusing on the role of several environmental factors in eliciting stilbenes biosynthesis. The effects of ultraviolet radiation, visible light, ultrasonication, mechanical stress, salt stress, drought, temperature, ozone, and biotic stress are reviewed in the context of enhancing stilbene biosynthesis, both in planta and in plant cell and organ cultures. This knowledge may shed some light on stilbene biological roles and represents a useful tool to increase the accumulation of these valuable compounds.
Highlights
Plants 2021, 10, 90. https://doi.org/Stilbenes are a small yet important class of non-flavonoid polyphenols, sharing a common structure characterized by a 14-carbon skeleton composed of two benzene rings linked by an ethylene bridge (Figure 1)
The study of stilbenes is of crucial importance for basic research, to understand the biological role of these metabolites in plant defense from biotic and abiotic stress
The present review arises in this context, dealing with the most recent knowledge of the stilbene biosynthetic pathway and the environmental factors that affect their biosynthesis and accumulation in different plant species, both in planta and in in vitro systems
Summary
Stilbenes are a small yet important class of non-flavonoid polyphenols, sharing a common structure characterized by a 14-carbon skeleton composed of two benzene rings linked by an ethylene bridge (Figure 1). Thunb.) [4,5] Given their nutraceutical value, stilbene content and composition have mainly been investigated in food plants, and the knowledge of stilbene distribution in nature is still poor. Stilbene content and composition have mainly been investigated in food plants, and the knowledge of stilbene distribution in nature is still poor This is partially related to the complexity of the quali-quantitative analysis of stilbenes, which is in turn related to the unavailability of standards and the detection limits of analytical methods [2]. Plants 2021, 10, 90 been shown to possess similar and often more pronounced health-promoting properties than resveratrol Due to their potential use in the nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical fields, great interest is directed at the methods for large-scale production of stilbenes. This review presents the recent knowledge of the stilbene biosynthetic pathway and the impact of different environmental factors on stilbene production
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