Allelopathy Journal

  • Year: 2008
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue: 1

Allelopathic activity of Centaurea diffusa and Centaurea tweediei: Effects of cnicin and onopordopicrin on seed germination, phytopathogenic bacteria and soil

  • Author:
  • M. Eugenia Sesto Cabral, A. Mario Fortuna1, Elmira C. De Riscala1, César A. N. Catalán, E. Elizabeth Sigstad
  • Total Page Count: 8
  • DOI:
  • Page Number: 183 to 190

Instituto de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Bioquímica Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Ayacucho 471 (T4000INI), Tucumán, Argentina.

* Correspondence author: E. Mail: lizzie@fbqf.unt.edu.ar, myhomear@yahoo.com.ar

1Cátedra de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Agronomía y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Av. Roca1900.CP: 4000, Tucumán, Argentina.

Abstract

The effect of soils amended with cnicin and onopordopicrin (major metabolites isolated from Centaurea diffusa and C. tweediei, respectively) on seed germination of tomato (Lycopersicum esculetum L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and honey weed (Leonurus sibiricus L.) was investigated. Both substances drastically reduced the germination of lettuce and honey weed. Since cnicin was active against some Gram (−) phytopathogenic bacteria, its effect on soil was investigated by calorimetric techniques. Cnicin at 0.1 mg g−1 concentration selectively inhibited some soil microorganisms.

Keywords

Allelopathy, calorimetry, cnicin, Leonorus sibiricus, lettuce, onopordopicrin, seed germination, soil microbial activity, tomato, wheat