title: Infrared and Raman spectroscopic features of plant cuticles: a review.
abstract: The cuticle is one of the most important plant barriers. It is an external and continuous lipid membrane that covers the surface of epidermal cells and whose main function is to prevent the massive loss of water. The spectroscopic characterization of the plant cuticle and its components (cutin, cutan, waxes, polysaccharides and phenolics) by infrared and Raman spectroscopies has provided significant advances in the knowledge of the functional groups present in the cuticular matrix and on their structural role, interaction and macromolecular arrangement. Additionally, these spectroscopies have been used in the study of cuticle interaction with exogenous molecules, degradation, distribution of components within the cuticle matrix, changes during growth and development and characterization of fossil plants.
authors.affiliation: Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Heredia-Guerrero
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias de Materiales de Sevilla, CSIC-US Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: José J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Benítez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, CSIC-UMA Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilker S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Bayer
authors.affiliation: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cingolani
authors.affiliation: Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Athanassia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Athanassiou
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora, CSIC-UMA Málaga, Spain ; Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heredia
keywords: Raman spectroscopy; cuticle components; cuticle structure; infrared spectroscopy; plant cuticle