Defensive Role of Plant-Derived Secondary Metabolites: Indole and Its’ Derivatives

The diversity of indole concerning its production and functional role has increased in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. The bacterial species produce indole and use it as a signaling molecule at interspecies, intraspecies, and even at an interkingdom level for controlling the capability of drug resistance, level of virulence, and biofilm formation. Numerous indole derivatives have been found to play an important role in the different systems and are reported to occur in various bacteria, plants, human, and plant pathogens. Indole and its derivatives have been recognized for a defensive role against pests and insects in the plant kingdom. These indole derivatives are produced as a result of the breakdown of glucosinolate products at the time of insect attack or physical damages. Apart from the defensive role of these products, in plants, they also exhibit several other secondary responses that may contribute directly or indirectly to the growth and development. The present review summarized recent signs of progress on the functional properties of indole and its derivatives in different plant systems. The molecular mechanism involved in the defensive role played by indole as well as its’ derivative in the plants has also been explained. Furthermore, the perspectives of indole and its derivatives (natural or synthetic) in understanding the involvement of these compounds in diverse plants have also been discussed.