A deficiency of water is a common stress experienced by plants. Dehydration of plant tissue results in altered protein and lipid ultrastructure responsible for membrane stabilisation leading inevitably to the death of the plant. Some plants known as resurrection plants have evolved with the ability to survive dehydration to less than 2% water content, a property known as desiccation tolerance. Recently a polyphenol extracted from the leaves of a common African resurrection tree Myrothamnus flabellifolius Welw. has been isolated and characterised as 3,4,5-tri-O-galloylquinic acid. This study has investigated the role which this polyphenol may play in desiccation tolerance.

Includes bibliographical references.