Glycerol as an Inducer of Disease Resistance in Plants: A Systematic Review

The objective of this systematic review (SR) was to select studies on the activity of glycerol as a molecule that induces disease resistance in plants. We sought to evaluate articles deposited in five electronic databases using a search string and predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The most studied crops are Arabidopsis thaliana, Glycine max, and Coffea spp. The most commonly cited biotic agents include Pseudomonas syringae, Blumeria graminis, and Colletotrichum higginsianum. Numerous doses of glycerol were studied, and concentrations ranged from 0.004 to 9.21%, with a 3% concentration of glycerol being considered most effective for most plant species, where greater resistance was observed with increased glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) and decreased oleic acid levels. The main means of application of the product were spraying and immersion. The SR also revealed the evaluation of resistance-inducing genes, such as PR proteins (PR-1, PR2, PR-5, etc.), HPS70, HSP90, SCAM4, and Tapr1, among others. The information collected in this SR helps to understand the state of the art on the use of glycerol as a molecule inducing resistance against biotic stressors to understand the mechanisms involved in most host–pathogen relationships. This information will be useful in plant breeding programs and for growers/producers.