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Capsidiol is a phytoalexin produced by certain plants in response to pathogenic attack.. Phytoalexins are antimicrobial substances, some of which are antioxidative as well. They are defined not by their having any particular chemical structure or character, but by the fact that they are defensively synthesized de novo by plants that produce the compounds rapidly at sites of pathogen infection.
Antimicrobial use has been common practice for at least 2000 years. Ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks used specific molds and plant extracts to treat infection. [5]In the 19th century, microbiologists such as Louis Pasteur and Jules Francois Joubert observed antagonism between some bacteria and discussed the merits of controlling these interactions in medicine. [6]
In biochemistry, naturally occurring phenols are natural products containing at least one phenol functional group. [1] [2] [3] Phenolic compounds are produced by plants and microorganisms. [4] Organisms sometimes synthesize phenolic compounds in response to ecological pressures such as pathogen and insect attack, UV radiation and wounding. [5]
The bacteria tend to be seed-borne, and are dispersed between plants by rain splash. [18] Although it is a plant pathogen, it can also live as a saprotroph in the phyllosphere when conditions are not favourable for disease. [19] Some saprotrophic strains of P. syringae have been used as biocontrol agents against postharvest rots. [20]
Plants synthesize a variety of phytochemicals, but most are derivatives: [9] Alkaloids are a class of chemical compounds containing a nitrogen ring. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, and are part of the group of natural products (also called secondary metabolites).
The antimicrobial activity of the active agent may be either reduced or enhanced by polymerization. This depends on how the agent kills bacteria, either by depleting the bacterial food supply or through bacterial membrane disruption and the kind of monomer used. Differences have been reported when homo-polymers are compared to copolymers. [2]
Plant defensins (formerly gamma-thionins) are a family of primitive, highly stable, cysteine-rich defensins found in plants that function to defend them against pathogens and parasites. [1] Defensins are integral components of the innate immune system and belong to the ancient superfamily of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs).
A plantibody is an antibody that is produced by plants that have been genetically engineered with animal DNA encoding a specific human antibody known to neutralize a particular pathogen or toxin. The transgenic plants produce antibodies that are similar to their human counterparts, and following purification, plantibodies can be administered ...