A review on involvement of lignin in rice defense against pathogens / Siti Noor Asila Zakaria and Yusuf Chong Yu Lok

This paper reviews the involvement of lignin as a component of plant defense in rice (Oryza sativa). Rice is the most widely consumed foods of the world's human populations. At the same time, these crops were threatened by the major diseases which are Brown spots disease and Bacterial sheath blight disease. The pathogen attack in rice could cause in reducing of yield production. Lignin, as defense mechanisms in plants will provide solutions towards the problem faced in the low production of rice. Lignin is a plant secondary metabolite that has various unique functions in plants. It was deposited in the secondary thickened cell wall to prevent pathogen invasion into the plants and also provide strength and imperviousness. Lignin biosynthesis pathway involves several enzymes in producing of monomer subunits; p-hydroxyphenyl (H). guaicyl (G) and syringyl (S) units.