Chemical composition and antifungal activity of cuticular wax isolated from Asian pear fruit (cv. Pingguoli)

Surface Waxes as a Plant Defense Barrier Towards Grain Aphid

“…The surface of primary aerial parts of terrestrial plants is covered by a cuticle, which has crucial autecological functions, but also serves as an important interface in trophic interactions (Rostàs et al, 2008;Yin et al, 2011;Wójcicka, 2013). A cuticle covers all aerial parts of higher plants, i.e., stems, leaves, petals and fruits, with the exception of stems that have undergone secondary growth.…”

“…It is also a protective barrier against water loss and loss of organic and inorganic compounds by leaching from the interior of the plant tissues. The external layer of EW may have other ecological functions including shielding of UV-B, protection against pathogen invasion (bacteria and fungi) and influencing insect behaviour by functioning as allelochemicals (Müller and Riederer, 2005;Städler and Reifenrath, 2009;Yin et al, 2011;Niemietz et al, 2009).…”

Fecundity and Survival of Grain Aphid at Various Growth Stages of Waxy and Waxless Triticale

“…Similarly, Ulrich et al [31] showed the insecticidal and antifeedant properties of Porteresia coarctata Takeoka leaf extract against the generalist pest Spodoptera litura (F.), leading to biochemical changes in the insect body. The chemicals have also been attributed with benefi cial properties as they necessarily represent the fi rst line of contact with organisms [3,11]. Among these compounds are those that exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including neurotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and antimitotic [32,33].…”

“…Volatiles emanating from plant surface waxes can act as attractants or repellents [6,7]. The layer of the epicuticular waxes may contain aliphatic components, sugars, and amino acids [8][9][10][11][12], as well as secondary metabolites [13][14][15][16]. Its composition varies among species and genotypes of plants during ontogeny [17].…”

“…Its composition varies among species and genotypes of plants during ontogeny [17]. Differences in wax chemistry may modulate ecological interactions among plants and insects [7,11,18]. Flavonoids are of great interest for their bioactivities, such as their infl uence on behavior and reduction of fecundity of insects [19].…”