Functional Peptides: Novel Tools for Controlling Plant Diseases

Chemical pesticides, which are today subject to stringent regulations and limits, are the primary means of controlling plant diseases. In terms of plant health, functional peptides are intriguing substances. Many novel synthetic and natural compounds have been found and employed in plant protection in recent years. Functional peptides are a good option among them to combat phytopathogens (Amso & Hayouka, 2019). Functional peptides are synthetic analogues or derived from living organisms, they offer new methods of action against plant diseases, making them potential biopesticide candidates. Functional peptides have long been proposed as potential antifungal and antibacterial agricultural agents (Van der Biezen, 2001). Functional peptides that target bacterial and fungal diseases have similar killing mechanisms despite their diverse sources. As summed up by numerous earlier reviews (Zasloff, 2002; Brogden, 2005; Melo et al., 2009; Bocchinfuso et al., 2011; Akalın Siben, 2014), to destroy infections, the majority of peptides target and breach the cell membrane directly. Peptides may be made available to the industry and growers on a big scale through chemical synthesis, biotechnological platforms, and natural sources. It is anticipated that a number of functional peptides may soon be offered for sale as plant disease control agents, although further research is required to confirm these peptides' effectiveness in real-world settings.