Abstract

Phytotoxic activity of several middle-chain fatty acids, especially pelargonic acid (C9 acid) was investigated. C9–C11 acids caused strong non-selective damage to plants such as crabgrass, cucumber, velvetleaf, and tobacco, while C6 and C14 fatty acids had almost no activity. Middle-chain fatty acids caused a strong and rapid electrolyte leakage. They reached highest conductivity in 3 h in the case of cucumber cotyledons. Middle-chain fatty acids caused a decrease of the amount of polar lipids, particularly MGDG and PG, and chlorophylls. They also caused an increase of free fatty acids in 24 h after treatment. These results suggested that middle-chain fatty acids caused severe damage to cell membranes and thylakoid membranes of treated leaves. C6 volatile compounds such as cis-3-hexenal, trans-2-hexenal, and cis-3-hexenol were generated in less than 1 h after spraying pelargonic acid to tobacco leaves. The application of pelargonic acid was thought to be the trigger for linolenic acid degradation in the thylakoid membranes.

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