Biotic and abiotic stress-induced phenylpropanoids in leaves of the mango (Mangifera indica L., Anacardiaceae)

It is now widely recognized that plant’s chemical composition is affected by both abiotic and biotic stress. This is the case of Mangifera indica leaves which respond very clearly to the damages caused by the grasshopper Tropidacris collaris and to mechanical damage by biosynthesizing several stress-related volatile compounds, mainly phenylpropanoids such as myristicin, dillapiole, eugenol and eugenol acetate. The identification of these phenylpropanoids in mango leaves in response to abiotic and biotic stress factors is a key step in the search for new natural pesticides, since phenylpropanoids have various biological activities, mainly insecticidal.