Biochemistry of Terpenes and Recent Advances in Plant Protection

Biodiversity is adversely affected by the growing levels of synthetic chemicals released into the environment due to agricultural activities. This has been the driving force for embracing sustainable agriculture. Plant secondary metabolites offer promising alternatives for protecting plants against...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of molecular sciences 2021-05, Vol.22 (11), p.5710
Main Authors: Ninkuu, Vincent, Zhang, Lin, Yan, Jianpei, Fu, Zhenchao, Yang, Tengfeng, Zeng, Hongmei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
allelopathy
biosynthesis
insecticidal
phytoalexin
Review
terpenes
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Summary:Biodiversity is adversely affected by the growing levels of synthetic chemicals released into the environment due to agricultural activities. This has been the driving force for embracing sustainable agriculture. Plant secondary metabolites offer promising alternatives for protecting plants against microbes, feeding herbivores, and weeds. Terpenes are the largest among PSMs and have been extensively studied for their potential as antimicrobial, insecticidal, and weed control agents. They also attract natural enemies of pests and beneficial insects, such as pollinators and dispersers. However, most of these research findings are shelved and fail to pass beyond the laboratory and greenhouse stages. This review provides an overview of terpenes, types, biosynthesis, and their roles in protecting plants against microbial pathogens, insect pests, and weeds to rekindle the debate on using terpenes for the development of environmentally friendly biopesticides and herbicides.
ISSN:1422-0067
1661-6596
1422-0067
DOI:10.3390/ijms22115710