Allelopathic potential of Artemisia arborescens: isolation, identification and quantification of phytotoxic compounds through fractionation-guided bioassays.
The aerial part of Artemisia arborescens L. (Asteraceae) was extracted with water and methanol, and both extracts were fractionated using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. The potential phytotoxicity of both crude extracts and their fractions were assayed in vitro on seed germination and root growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), a sensitive species largely employed in the allelopathy studies. The inhibitory activities were analysed by dose-response curves and the ED 50 were estimated. Crude extracts strongly inhibited both germination and root growth processes. The fraction-bioassay indicated the following hierarchy of phytotoxicity for both physiological processes: ethyl acetate ≥ n-hexane > chloroform ≥ n-butanol. On the n-hexane fraction, GC-MS analyses were carried out to characterise and quantify some of the potential allelochemicals. Twenty-one compounds were identified and three of them, camphor, trans-caryophyllene and pulegone were quantified.
Dipartimento di Biotecnologie per il Monitoraggio Agro-Alimentare ed Ambientale (BIOMAA), Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Facoltà di Agraria - Salita Melissari, I-89124 Reggio, Calabria, RC, Italy.
Fabrizio
F
Araniti
Antonio
A
Lupini
Agostino
A
Sorgonà
Filomena
F
Conforti
Mariangela
M
Marrelli
Giancarlo Antonio
GA
Statti
Francesco
F
Menichini
Maria Rosa
MR
Abenavoli
D019306:Artemisia / Q000737:chemistry*; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D018525:Germination / Q000502:physiology; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D013729:Terpenes / Q000032:analysis
D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D013729:Terpenes; C039648:pulegone