Biological functions of lignans in plants

Abstract

Naturally occurring lignans are present in seeds, nuts, cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Lignans play various roles in plants and their multipurpose functions of different organisms including humans is considerable. They are involved in plant defence mechanisms through their antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. The lignans content may be affected by a variety of factors such as genotype, tissue type, geographic origin, local environmental conditions, nutrition, and plant maturity. Interactive relationships between individual factors are also considered. This review aimed to summarize the biological functions of lignans for plants and empasize the importance of these compounds for the added value of individual genotypes of plant food resources. Understanding the biological functions of lignans in plants can provide solutions to the ever-increasing requirements for the production of functional foods. Flaxseed is the richest source of lignans, and as such is considered the model species for lignans studies. Within our review, one paragraph is focused on the properties and biological functions of flax lignans.