Structure, Chemical Analysis, Biosynthesis, Metabolism, Molecular Engineering, and Biological Functions of Phytoalexins.

Philippe Jeandet

doi:10.3390/molecules23010061

Abstract

Plants in their natural environment are facing large numbers of pathogenic microorganisms, mainly fungi and bacteria.[…].

Highlights

Plants in their natural environment are facing large numbers of pathogenic microorganisms, mainly fungi and bacteria
Phytoalexins, which are low-molecular-weight antimicrobial compounds produced by plants as a response to biotic and abiotic stresses, take part in this intricate defence system
Thirteen research and review articles have been published in this special issue: four articles concern the biosynthesis of phytoalexins as a response to biotic and/or abiotic elicitors capable of inducing their production in plants [1,2,3,4], two articles describe methods for phytoalexin analysis in complex matrices [5,6], one article reports on phytoalexin metabolism by fungi [7], and six articles focus on the biological activity of phytoalexins [8,9,10,11,12,13]

Summary

Introduction

Plants in their natural environment are facing large numbers of pathogenic microorganisms, mainly fungi and bacteria. Phytoalexins display a wide range of properties as antifungal compounds in various plants or preventing actions against human diseases as antioxidant, anticancer and cardioprotective agents as well as being supposed to act positively in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson diseases. Thirteen research and review articles have been published in this special issue: four articles concern the biosynthesis of phytoalexins as a response to biotic and/or abiotic elicitors capable of inducing their production in plants [1,2,3,4], two articles describe methods for phytoalexin analysis in complex matrices [5,6], one article reports on phytoalexin metabolism by fungi [7], and six articles focus on the biological activity of phytoalexins [8,9,10,11,12,13].

Results

Conclusion