Stimulation or Inhibition: Conflicting evidence for (+/-)-catechin's role as a chemical facilitator and disease protecting agent.

ABSTRACT: The occurrence of plant hormesis is a poorly understood phenomenon, wherein low doses of phytotoxins unusually promote growth responses in higher plants. In contrast, negative plant-plant interactions mediated through secreted small molecular weight compounds initiate growth inhibitory responses. Studies related to (+/-)-catechin mediated allelopathy have transpired both novel information and generated significant controversy. Specifically, studies related to the phytotoxicity responses mediated by (+/-)-catechins have been seriously debated. The pronged opinion that (+/-)-catechin is phytotoxic versus non-phytotoxic relies more on the target plant systems and the conditions used to test phytotoxic responses. It is reported that lower than MIC dosage supplementation of (+/-)-catechin could

SUBMITTER: Bais HP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2881267 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature