title: Chemical interactions between plants in Mediterranean vegetation: the influence of selected plant extracts on Aegilops geniculata metabolome.
abstract: Allelopathy is the chemical mediated communication among plants. While on one hand there is growing interest in the field, on the other hand it is still debated as doubts exist at different levels. A number of compounds have been reported for their ability to influence plant growth, but the existence of this phenomenon in the field has rarely been demonstrated. Furthermore, only few studies have reported the uptake and the effects at molecular level of the allelochemicals. Allelopathy has been reported on some plants of Mediterranean vegetation and could contribute to structuring this ecosystem. Sixteen plants of Mediterranean vegetation have been selected and studied by an NMR-based metabolomics approach. The extracts of these donor plants have been characterized in terms of chemical composition and the effects on a selected receiving plant, Aegilops geniculata, have been studied both at the morphological and at the metabolic level. Most of the plant extracts employed in this study were found to have an activity, which could be correlated with the presence of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamate derivatives. These plant extracts affected the receiving plant in different ways, with different rates of growth inhibition at morphological level. The results of metabolomic analysis of treated plants suggested the induction of oxidative stress in all the receiving plants treated with active donor plant extracts, although differences were observed among the responses. Finally, the uptake and transport into receiving plant leaves of different metabolites present in the extracts added to the culture medium were observed.
authors: Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Second University of Naples, via Vivaldi 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy. Electronic address: monica.scognamiglio@unina2.it.
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Scognamiglio
authors: Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Second University of Naples, via Vivaldi 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors: Vittorio
authors: V
authors: Fiumano
authors: Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Second University of Naples, via Vivaldi 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors: Brigida
authors: B
authors: D'Abrosca
authors: Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Second University of Naples, via Vivaldi 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors: Assunta
authors: A
authors: Esposito
authors: Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Young Hae
authors: YH
authors: Choi
authors: Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Verpoorte
authors: Department of Environmental Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Second University of Naples, via Vivaldi 43, I-81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Fiorentino
mesh_terms: D064089:Allelopathy; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D055442:Metabolome; D010675:Pheromones / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Allelochemicals; Flavonoids; Hydroxycinnamate derivatives; NMR-based metabolomics; Oxidative stress