Why does dandelion never fall ill?

Researchers at Münster University find out that dandelion possesses enzymes that have untypical abilities for plants / Study in "Angewandte Chemie' Plants possess enzymes called polyphenoloxidases, which can oxidize certain chemical compounds and thus produce the typical brown colour that we know, for example, from freshly cut apples. Animals and humans also possess similar enzymes, the tyrosinases. However, they can also oxidize other compounds and thus perhaps produce more antimicrobial substances. Researchers at the University of Münster have now discovered that the dandelion has an unusually large gene family of polyphenoloxidases - four of which are actually tyrosinases. These enzymes, which are unusual for plants, could be partly responsible for the fact that dandelions hardly ever fall ill. Biologist Bruno Moerschbacher led the study published in the journal "Angewandte Chemie" and reported on the new findings in a guest article. Dandelion - everyone knows it, gourmets love it, gardeners hate it.