TITLE:
Chemical Composition and Allelopathic Activity of Parthenium hysterophorus and Ambrosia polystachya Weeds Essential Oils
AUTHORS:
Cíntia Alvarenga S. F. de Miranda, Maria das G. Cardoso, Maria Laene M. de Carvalho, Ana Cristina S. Figueiredo, David L. Nelson, Christiane M. de Oliveira, Marcos de S. Gomes, Juliana de Andrade, Josefina A. de Souza, Luiz R. Marques de Albuquerque
KEYWORDS:
Volatile Oils; Allelopathy; Asteraceae
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.9,
April
4,
2014
ABSTRACT: The volatile
constituents of the essential oils from leaves from the weed plants Parthenium hysterophorus and Ambrosia polystachya were identified and
quantified by GLC-MS and GLC. Allelopathic activities were determined by
methods that evaluated the volatile effects and the direct application of these
essential oils on the seed germination and seedling vigor of lettuce. We identified
27 compounds in the essential oil from P.
hysterophorus, and the main constituents were germacrene-D (35.9%), trans-β-ocimene (8.5%) and β-myrcene
(7.6%). In the essential oil from A.
polystachya, 40 constituents were identified and the principal compounds
were germacrene-D (29.3%), trans-β-ocimene
(13.6%) and β-caryophyllene (9.8%). In both methods, the essential oil from A. polystachya presented a greater
potential for reducing seed germination and seedling vigor in lettuce than the
essential oil from P. hysterophorus, and
this activity might be attributed to its higher content of monoterpenes.