Phytoncide

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Phytoncides are antimicrobial and insecticidal volatile organic compounds derived from plants. The word, which means "exterminated by the plant" (from the Greek φυτόν "plant" and the Latin caedere"to kill"), was coined in 1928 by Boris P. Tokin, a Soviet biochemist then studying at Moscow State University. He found that some plants give off very active substances that help to prevent them from rotting or from being eaten by some insects and animals. Phytoncides are a biologically active substance of plant origin that kills or inhibits growth and development of bacteria, microscopic fungi, and protozoa. Phytoncides play an important role in plant immunity and in the relationships between organisms within an ecosystem. The ability to produce phytoncides is a quality common among plants. The release of phytoncides increase when a plant is injured. Phytoncide compound compositions vary depending on whether the compound is considered a glycoside, terpenoid, or other secondary metabolites.

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