Abstract
Cereal crops such as wheat, rice and barley underpin the staple diet for human consumption globally. A multitude of threats to stable and secure yields of these crops exist including from losses caused by pathogens, particularly fungal. Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to resist pathogens including programmed cell death responses, the release of pathogenicity-related proteins and oxidative bursts. Another such mechanism is the synthesis and release of secondary metabolites toxic to potential pathogens. Several classes of these compounds have been identified and their anti-fungal properties demonstrated. However the lack of suitable analytical techniques has hampered the progress of identifying and exploiting more of these novel metabolites. In this review, we summarise the role of the secondary metabolites in cereal crop diseases and briefly touch on the analytical techniques that hold the key to unlocking their potential in reducing yield losses.
Highlights
Eight major cereal crops including wheat, rice, barley, oat, rye, corn, sorghum and millet make up two-thirds of the worlds food supply [1]
We summarise the role of the secondary metabolites in cereal crop diseases and briefly touch on the analytical techniques that hold the key to unlocking their potential in reducing yield losses
This review has covered the major classes of secondary metabolites present in cereals with important roles in pathogen defence
Summary
Eight major cereal crops including wheat, rice, barley, oat, rye, corn, sorghum and millet make up two-thirds of the worlds food supply [1]. Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy are utilised to structurally characterise small molecules due to a combination of cost and complexity of the resulting data they are not as common as GC and LC-MS These techniques enable identification and quantification of metabolites, which through carefully designed biological experiments, can be utilised to unravel the complex metabolite responses of plants to pathogens. Secondary metabolites will be discussed in the context of chemical class rather than their roles as phytoanticipan or phytoalexins as a number of compounds fall into both these categories in different species These secondary metabolites offer tremendous potential for plant breeding and metabolic engineering in agriculture to aid in controlling existing disease losses [11,12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
