Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6486645 | Biotechnology Advances | 2018 | 52 Pages |
Abstract
The negative impact of the massive use of synthetic pesticides on the environment and on human health has stimulated the search for environment-friendly practices for controlling plant diseases and pests. Among them, biocontrol, which relies on using beneficial organisms or their products (bioactive molecules and/or hydrolytic enzymes), holds the greatest promise and is considered a pillar of integrated pest management. Chitinases are particularly attractive to this purpose since they have fungicidal, insecticidal, and nematicidal activities. Here, current knowledge on the biopesticidal action of microbial and viral chitinases is reviewed, together with a critical analysis of their future development as biopesticides.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Bioengineering
Authors
Francesca Berini, Chen Katz, Nady Gruzdev, Morena Casartelli, Gianluca Tettamanti, Flavia Marinelli,