Summary
This review article, published in Natural Product Reports (2018), examines the relationship between root-associated microbial communities and the chemical profiles of plants, focusing on how rhizosphere and endophytic microbiota shape the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and natural products. The authors synthesise existing evidence on the mechanistic pathways through which soil microorganisms interact with plant metabolic processes. The paper contributes to understanding how soil biological diversity may influence the phytochemical quality of crops, with potential relevance to both agronomy and nutritional research.
UK applicability
Although not UK-specific, the findings are broadly applicable to UK agricultural and horticultural systems where soil microbial diversity is increasingly recognised as a determinant of crop quality; the review supports policy and practice interest in soil health as a driver of plant nutritional and phytochemical value.
Key measures
Plant secondary metabolite profiles; phytochemical composition; microbial community structure; root microbiome diversity
Outcomes reported
The paper reviews how root-associated microbial communities modulate the biosynthesis and composition of plant secondary metabolites and natural products. It likely examines mechanisms by which rhizosphere and endophytic microbiota influence plant chemistry, with implications for crop quality and phytochemical diversity.
Topic tags
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