Proteinase inhibitors in plants

In plant biology, proteinase inhibitors are a family of small proteins that serve an integral role in the plant's defense mechanisms against herbivory from insects or microorganisms that may compromise the integrity of the plant. == Functionality == The proteinase inhibitors work to disrupt the enzymatic ability of the digestive or microbial enzymes that are present in the stomach of the attacker resulting in the inability to properly digest the plant material.

Source: Wikipedia — Proteinase inhibitors in plants (CC BY-SA 4.0)