Microbial Metabolites: A Sustainable Approach to Combat Plant Pests
With the sustainable increase in agricultural productivity, the need for safer, environmentally friendly pesticide alternatives is also growing. Metabolites of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes) are emerging as potential bioactive compounds for integrated pest and disease management. Th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Metabolites |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/6/418 |
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| author | Somasundaram Prabhu Rajendran Poorniammal Laurent Dufossé |
| author_facet | Somasundaram Prabhu Rajendran Poorniammal Laurent Dufossé |
| author_sort | Somasundaram Prabhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With the sustainable increase in agricultural productivity, the need for safer, environmentally friendly pesticide alternatives is also growing. Metabolites of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes) are emerging as potential bioactive compounds for integrated pest and disease management. These compounds comprise amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, organic acids, phenolics, peptides, alkaloids, polyketides, and volatile organic compounds. The majority of them have insecticidal, fungicidal, and nematicidal activities. In this review, the classifications, biosynthetic pathways, and ecological functions of primary and secondary metabolites produced by microorganisms are discussed, including their mechanisms of action, ranging from competition to systemic acquired resistance in host plants. The article highlights the importance of microbial genera (viz., <i>Bacillus</i> sp., <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp., <i>Trichoderma</i> sp., <i>Streptomyces</i> sp., etc.) in making chemicals and biopesticides for crop defense. We present the possible applications of microbial biosynthesis strategies and synthetic biology tools in bioprocess development, covering recent innovations in formulation, delivery, and pathway engineering to enhance metabolite production. This review emphasizes the significance of microbial metabolites in improving the plant immunity, yield performance, reduction in pesticide application, and the sustainability of an ecological, sustainable, and resilient agricultural system. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7921a54b9b7f4ea7a7b5e66f6d5a63dd |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2218-1989 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Metabolites |
| spelling | doaj-art-7921a54b9b7f4ea7a7b5e66f6d5a63dd2025-06-25T14:10:36ZengMDPI AGMetabolites2218-19892025-06-0115641810.3390/metabo15060418Microbial Metabolites: A Sustainable Approach to Combat Plant PestsSomasundaram Prabhu0Rajendran Poorniammal1Laurent Dufossé2Department of Plant Protection, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Periyakulam 625604, IndiaDepartment of Agricultural Microbiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, IndiaLaboratoire de Chimie et Biotechnologie des Produits Naturels (CHEMBIOPRO), Université de La Réunion, ESIROI Agroalimentaire, 15 Avenue René Cassin, F-97400 Sainte-Clotilde, FranceWith the sustainable increase in agricultural productivity, the need for safer, environmentally friendly pesticide alternatives is also growing. Metabolites of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes) are emerging as potential bioactive compounds for integrated pest and disease management. These compounds comprise amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, organic acids, phenolics, peptides, alkaloids, polyketides, and volatile organic compounds. The majority of them have insecticidal, fungicidal, and nematicidal activities. In this review, the classifications, biosynthetic pathways, and ecological functions of primary and secondary metabolites produced by microorganisms are discussed, including their mechanisms of action, ranging from competition to systemic acquired resistance in host plants. The article highlights the importance of microbial genera (viz., <i>Bacillus</i> sp., <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp., <i>Trichoderma</i> sp., <i>Streptomyces</i> sp., etc.) in making chemicals and biopesticides for crop defense. We present the possible applications of microbial biosynthesis strategies and synthetic biology tools in bioprocess development, covering recent innovations in formulation, delivery, and pathway engineering to enhance metabolite production. This review emphasizes the significance of microbial metabolites in improving the plant immunity, yield performance, reduction in pesticide application, and the sustainability of an ecological, sustainable, and resilient agricultural system.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/6/418microbial metabolitesprimary metabolitessecondary metabolitespest managementbiocontrol |
| spellingShingle | Somasundaram Prabhu Rajendran Poorniammal Laurent Dufossé Microbial Metabolites: A Sustainable Approach to Combat Plant Pests Metabolites microbial metabolites primary metabolites secondary metabolites pest management biocontrol |
| title | Microbial Metabolites: A Sustainable Approach to Combat Plant Pests |
| title_full | Microbial Metabolites: A Sustainable Approach to Combat Plant Pests |
| title_fullStr | Microbial Metabolites: A Sustainable Approach to Combat Plant Pests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microbial Metabolites: A Sustainable Approach to Combat Plant Pests |
| title_short | Microbial Metabolites: A Sustainable Approach to Combat Plant Pests |
| title_sort | microbial metabolites a sustainable approach to combat plant pests |
| topic | microbial metabolites primary metabolites secondary metabolites pest management biocontrol |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/6/418 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT somasundaramprabhu microbialmetabolitesasustainableapproachtocombatplantpests AT rajendranpoorniammal microbialmetabolitesasustainableapproachtocombatplantpests AT laurentdufosse microbialmetabolitesasustainableapproachtocombatplantpests |