Abstract
Twelve essential oils from Mediterranean aromatic plants were tested for their phytotoxic activity, at different doses, against the germination and the initial radicle growth of seeds of Raphanus sativus, Lactuca sativa and Lepidium sativum. The essential oils were obtained from Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Majorana hortensis, Melissa officinalis, Ocimum basilicum, Origanum vulgare, Salvia officinalis and Thymus vulgaris (Lamiaceae), Verbena officinalis (Verbenaceae), Pimpinella anisum, Foeniculum vulgare and Carum carvi (Apiaceae). The germination and radicle growth of tested seeds were affected in different ways by the oils. Thyme, balm, vervain and caraway essential oils were more active against both germination and radicle elongation.
Highlights
Potential damage to human health and to the environment provoked by synthetic herbicides is regarded today as a real problem
The yields in essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of plant species collected at full flowering stage, on a fresh weight basis, were as follows: H. officinalis 0.41%, L. angustifolia 0.49%, M
Vokou and coworkers [21] studied the allelopathic activities of 47 monoterpenoids belonging to different chemical groups, estimating their effects on seed germination and subsequent growth of Lactuca sativa seedlings and found that the most active compounds against both processes belonged to the groups of ketones and alcohols, followed by the group of aldehydes and phenols
Summary
Potential damage to human health and to the environment provoked by synthetic herbicides is regarded today as a real problem. The Mediterranean flora is characterized by the abundance of aromatic plants among its components The feature differentiating these plants from all others, in spite of the fact that they belong to many different families, is the production of chemically related secondary compounds, the low molecular weight and volatile isoprenoids. This remarkable presence of aromatic species is important in determining the allelopathic potential within this ecosystem [9]. Saxa (radish), Lepidium sativum L. (garden cress) and Lactuca sativa
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