Antifungal properties of plants exposed to UV irradiation

When exposed to stress, plants produce protective compounds. These molecules contribute to their adaptation to environmental changes and to resistance to microbial attacks. Some fungal phytopathogenic species, especially those belonging to the Fusarium group, are also able to develop diseases in humans. In order to identify new sources of antifungal molecules of pharmacologic or agronomic interest, around thirty plant species from different taxonomical groups have been exposed to UV-C. Plant species from the Vitaceae group respond to UV treatment with the induction of a strong anti-fusaric activity