Salicylic acid is not only a vital component in the human medicinal treasure trove but also a crucial plant hormone for disease resistance. However， the complete synthesis pathway of salicylic acid within plants has remained an enigmatic puzzle.
Zhejiang University has announced a groundbreaking study published in *Nature*， a collaborative effort by the research team of Professor Ronghui Pan from the Crop Science Discipline and the research team of Professor Pengxiang Fan from the Horticulture Discipline at the School of Agriculture and Biology. This research has successfully elucidated the mystery surrounding salicylic acid synthesis in plants.
The research conducted by the teams has provided compelling evidence that benzoic acid is not a direct precursor to salicylic acid. Instead， it must first be converted into benzyl benzoate before entering the salicylic acid synthesis pathway.
Professor Pengxiang Fan commented that this discovery not only overturns the mainstream hypothesis but also holds the potential to necessitate textbook revisions.
Academician Jingquan Yu of the Chinese Academy of Engineering expressed his excitement， stating that this research has unravelled the mystery of the synthesis of active substances in traditional Chinese herbs and agricultural crops for millennia. It also provides a new theoretical foundation and precise tools for humanity’s future response to global crop disease challenges.
