Composed of various native and non-native plants, the Brazilian flora in its biodiversity remains a potential food source. In this context, plant species known Brazil as unconventional plants (UFP) deserve to be highlighted. Moreover, information concerning safety consuming UFP their natural toxins is still scarce. Thus, we explore current literature (2010–2020) obtain on toxicity, toxins, unde...

Plant secondary compounds (PSCs) have profound influence on the ecological interaction between plants and their consumers. Glycosides, a class of PSC, are inert in their intact form and become toxic on activation by either plant β-glucosidase enzymes or endogenous β-glucosidases produced by the intestine of the plant-predator or its microbiota. Many insect herbivores decrease activities of endo...

We review progress in understanding sequestration by herbivorous insects, the use of plant chemical defenses for their own defense. We incorporate sequestration into the framework of plant-insect coevolution by integrating three hierarchical issues: (1) the relationship between dietary specialization and sequestration of plant defenses, (2) the physiological mechanisms involved in sequestration...

Introduced exotic species encounter a wide range of non-coevolved enemies and competitors in their new range. Evolutionary novelty is a key aspect of these interactions, but who benefits from novelty: the exotic species or their new antagonists? Paradoxically, the novelty argument has been used to explain both the release from and the suppression by natural enemies. We argue that this paradox c...

Common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia Bess. is an alien weed of North American origin that became invasive in Europe. Although the main concern regarding this plant is its impact on human health, due to abundant production and easy spread of its highly allergenic pollen, A. artemisiifolia is also increasingly becoming a major weed in agriculture, being very competitive with crops and difficul...

During the past few years, many chimeric proteins have been developed to specifically target and kill cells expressing specific surface molecules. Generally these molecules carry a bacterial or plant toxin to destroy the unwanted cells. The major obstacle regarding these molecules in their clinical application is the immunogenicity and nonspecific toxicity associated with bacterial or plant tox...