Epicuticular wax and its role in plant protection of the Brassicaceae family against biotic and abiotic stresses (review)

The article describes the role of epicu-ticular wax in terms of its morphology and physiology as one of the resistance mechanisms of plants of the Brassicaceae family to various biotic and abiotic stresses based on the analysis of foreign scientific literature. The review provides a detailed description of the cuticle structure and epicuticular waxes on its surface, which can be represented as very diverse composite microstructures. We analyzed their important role in the efficiency and stability of the transpiration barrier in accelerating water loss, and we found it to be universal protection for plants under moisture deficit. The wax compositions vary in their response to temperature. The amount of wax and the morphological structure of the crystalloids changes when exposed to high and low temperatures. Wax production tends to increase at lower temperatures (15 °C and below) and to decrease at temperatures above 15 °C. It has been observed that the amount of wax in the plant cuticle increased with increasing UV radiation. Wax formed on the leaves of plants of the Brassicaceae family is one of the factors affecting the damage pattern of insect pests (such as cruciferous fleas, bedbugs, etc.). It can affect insect feeding both through physical mechanisms and by affecting the digestive system. The percentage of damage decrease is 64 % depending on the wax thickness on the surface of the plant. Epicuticular wax on the leaf surface is one of the mechanisms of plant protection of the Brassicaceae family against fungal and bacterial pathogens (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Alternaria bras-sicae, etc.). The morphology, placement, and thickness of the crystalloids, as well as the chemical characteristics, determine how effectively the plant can control various kinds of infections.