Plants shield against microbes using structural defenses, antimicrobial
compounds and secondary metabolites. Most plants have impermeable obstacles, such
as waxy cuticles, or morphological adaptive transformations like thorns, which retard
the pathogen's progression into plant tissues and prevent the release of deleterious
substances such as enzymes for the degradation of walls or toxins. If a pest crosses the
barriers of a plant, it is usually confronted with biochemical weapons including, but not
limited to, secondary metabolites with antimicrobial ability.
Keywords: Biochemical defenses, Cuticle, Mechanical defenses, Phenolic
compounds, Preformed defenses, Phytoanticipins, Wax.
