Optical properties and location of phenolic compounds in plant cuticles
- Autores: Ana González Moreno
- Directores de la Tesis: Antonio Heredia Bayona (dir. tes.), Eva Domínguez Carmona (codir. tes.)
- Lectura: En la Universidad de Málaga ( España ) en 2023
- Idioma: inglés
- Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Rocío Ponce Ortiz (presid.), Victoria Fernández Fernández (secret.), Lisbeth Garbrecht Thygesen (voc.)
- Enlaces
- Tesis en acceso abierto en: RIUMA
- Resumen
The cuticle is a hydrophobic lipid layer that covers aerial parts of leaves, fruits and non-lignified stems. The cuticle protects plant tissues against water loss, changes in temperature, overexposure to radiation, infections by pathogens and mechanic injuries, among others. The main component of plant cuticles is the amorphous polyester cutin, which is intertwined with cell wall polysaccharides, and also contains a variable amount of waxes and phenolic compounds. Changes in cuticle composition and deposition have been described among species, organs within the same species, throughout development, and even in response to environmental conditions.
Phenolic compounds have been studied in a limited number of plant cuticles and represent a minor fraction of the cuticle. The main compounds identified in all species are phenolic acids, mainly p-coumaric acid, and in some cases flavonoids. The present doctoral thesis has been focussed on the study of the phenolic compounds present in the plant cuticle, specifically their location and interaction within the tomato fruit cuticle as well as their contribution to plant photoprotection.
