TITLE:
Defensive Role of Plant Latex on Insect Pests’ Suppression: A Critical Review
AUTHORS:
Kriti Singh, Tamoghno Majumder, Aivi Mallick, Abhismita Samajder, Moumita Modak, Maimon Soniya Devi, Amitava Banerjee, Anirban Sarkar, Lakshman Chandra Patel, Shanowly Mondal Ghosh, Kusal Roy
KEYWORDS:
Plant Latex, Insect Herbivory, Plant Defence, Insect-Plant Interactions
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.14 No.11,
November
30,
2023
ABSTRACT: Over 350 million years have passed since the documentation of the first
interaction between plants and insects. Numerous plant defense qualities and
associated counter-adaptive features have developed as a result of these
interactions between insects and plants. These characteristics might be either
morphological or biological in nature. One of the most significant and useful
biochemical characteristics in plants is latex. Latex has a sticky property due
to presence of secondary metabolites in it, which aids in entangling or sealing the mouthparts of small insects. These
metabolites also chemically interact with
the insects interfering with crucial bodily processes. Plant latex has amazing properties that help protect plants
from insects and inhibit them in general. It
may be possible to control insect pests in a natural, secure, and long-lasting
manner by correctly identifying plant latex with strong insecticidal properties
and developing formulations of plant latex.