Determination of Allelopathic Potential in Some Medicinal and Wild Plant Species of Iran by Dish Pack Method

Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. (2014) 26:189–199 DOI 10.1007/s40626-014-0017-z Determination of allelopathic potential in some medicinal and wild plant species of Iran by dish pack method S. Amini • M. Azizi • M. R. Joharchi • M. N. Shafei • F. Moradinezhad • Y. Fujii Received: 27 February 2014 / Accepted: 12 August 2014 / Published online: 27 August 2014 Ó Brazilian Society of Plant Physiology 2014 Abstract action of medicinal and invasive plants, 118 Iranian Introduction Plants have the ability to interfere with plants from 104 species which belongs to 34 families other organisms in their immediate environment, a have been screened for allelopathic volatiles by the phenomenon called allelopathy. Allelopathy is a dish pack method. common phenomenon in nature (Qian Chemosphere Materials and methods A total of 118 plants (104 75(368):375, 2009). The use of allelopathic com- species) belonging to 34 families were collected in pounds for the development of new agrochemicals has 2009 from the tropical, subtropical and temperate several benefits as opposed to common synthetic regions of Iran. The Dish pack method as described by products. Cognizant of reports on the allelopathic Fujii et al. (Weed Sci Technol 45(80):81, 2000) utilized for screening the presence of allelopathic volatiles released from different parts of the plant specimen. This method can be used to recognize allelopathic properties very easy and quickly. S. Amini Á M. Azizi Results Results of bioassay with lettuce seed (Lactuca Department of Horticultural Science, Ferdowsi University sativa cv. Great Lakes 366) revealed that 23 species of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran elicited growth inhibitory action with the greatest (C96% reduction) observed in the inflorescences of Achillea Present Address: S. Amini Á F. Moradinezhad (&) wilhelmsii and Achillea filipendula.Furthermore,ahigh Department of Horticultural Science, College of suppression (83–95 %) in radicle elongation was Agriculture, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran observed in lettuce exposed to: flowers of Achillea e-mail: [email protected] nobilis, Lavandula vera,andPerovskia abrotanoides; M. R. Joharchi fruit of Ruta graveolens; seeds of Bunium persicum and Research Center of Plant Science, Ferdowsi University of Trachyspermum copticum;leavesofAchillea bieberstei- Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran nii, Pulicaria gnaphalodes, Ziziphora clinopodioides, Zataria multiflora; gum of Ferula foetida; and stigma of M. N. Shafei Department of Physiology, School of Medicine and Crocus sativus. On the other hand, 14 species instead Pharmaceutical Research Centre, Mashhad University of exhibited growth-promoting properties. Of these, the Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran greatest promoting effect were exhibited by the leaves of Cardaria draba, Verbascum speciosum and Urtica dioica Y. Fujii Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of eliciting 69 %, 56 %, and 53 %, respectively, which had Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan longer radicles compare to the control. 123 190 Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. (2014) 26:189–199 Conclusion The results hereby presented provide pesticides used are herbicides (Dayan et al. 2009), one insight into the allelopathic action of the medicinal of the most studied aspects of allelochemicals is their and wild plants of Iran. Data herein reported serves as role in weed management. Over-used of synthetic benchmark information for further research on the herbicides have led to the emergence of more aggres- characterization of the allelochemicals in these plants. sive and problematic weeds (Pimentel et al. 2001). Therefore, in order to produce new herbicides with Keywords Allelochemicals Á Volatile compounds Á less negative effects on the environment and also with Essential oil Á Secondary metabolites more efficiency on weed control more investigation is needed on natural compounds of different plants (Batish et al. 2006). A number of natural compounds isolated from 1 Introduction plants have demonstrated a wide spectrum of biological activities. Estimates claim that about 1.4 million Plants have the ability to interfere with other organ- compounds in plants have allelopathic activities, of isms in their immediate environment, a phenomenon which only 3 % have been examined (Einhelling and called allelopathy. Allelopathy is a common phenom- Leather 1988). The rest remains an untapped pool of enon in nature (Qian et al. 2009). The International potential growth inhibitors that can be successfully Allelopathy Society (IAS) defines allelopathic studies utilize for the development of bio-pesticides and to encompass processes involving secondary metab- herbicides (Khanh et al. 2005). olites produced by plants, algae, bacteria and fungi Secondary metabolites in medicinal plants and that influence the growth and development of agricul- invasive weeds have reported as potent growth inhib- tural and biological systems (Macias et al. 2007). itory agents indicating that such plants serve as store- More comprehensive definition of allelopathy is house for allelopathic compounds (Batish et al. 2006). provided that include both the positive and negative Hence, we examined these two groups of plants in this effects of chemical compounds produced mainly from research. This study presents the first comprehensive the secondary metabolism of plants, microorganisms, screening for allelopathic activity of Iranian medicinal viruses and fungi that influence the growth and and wild plants using the dish pack method. In this development of agricultural and biological ecosys- report, we only focused on identification and introduc- tems excluding mammals (De’ Albuquerque et al. ing allelopathic effects on some plants of Iran, while in 2011). Nevertheless, both definitions implicate the another report we will focus on identification of pivotal role of secondary metabolites in allelopathy allelopathic compounds in those plants that had exhib- (Qian et al. 2009), which are involved in defining the ited strong allelopathic effects as growth inhibitor. characteristics of natural and agro-ecosystems (Inder- jit and Duke 2003). The global demand for organic products has grown 2 Materials and methods rapidly in the past two decades (Isik et al. 2009). Concurrently, research trends have focused on the 2.1 Plant material and preparation possibility of using allelochemicals as natural pesticides to promote sustainable agriculture and to address A total of 118 plants (104 species) belonging to 34 market concerns on the effects of pesticides on the families were collected in 2009 from the tropical, environment and human health (Kropff and Walter, subtropical and temperate regions of Iran. The major- 2000). The use of allelopathic compounds for the ity of plants obtained from collection field of medic- development of new agrochemicals has several ben- inal plants near the Mashhad, Iran (Table 1). The efits as opposed to common synthetic products. Due to samples authenticated, and the voucher specimens their natural origin, researchers have suggested that deposited at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Herbar- most allelopathic compounds will be biodegradable ium (FUMH). Thereafter, different parts of plants used and also less polluting than traditional pesticides for laboratory studies at Agricultural Researches owing to their shorter half lives (Daizy et al. 1995). Institute in the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran Since more than half of the total volume of agricultural during 2009–2010. 123 Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. (2014) 26:189–199 191 Table 1 Geographical position of different regions of Iran that medicinal and wild plant species were collected Province Region Regions Longitude Latitude Altitude Codea (meter) Degree Degree Degree Degree minute minute Chaharmahal and Doab samsami 1-1 32 7 50 16 2,855 Bakhtiari South khorasan Esfeden 2-1 59 47 33 39 1,200 Ojan 2-2 59 27 33 26 1,880 Birjand 2-3 59 13 32 53 1,470 Razavi khorasan Jaghargh 3-1 59 19 36 18 1,420 Chehel mir 3-2 37 27 58 52 974 Shekarab 3-3 37 22 58 45 1,870 Torogh (collection field of medicinal 3-4 59 40 36 12 986 plants) Ferizi 3-5 59 35 36 22 920 Gharasoo 3-6 59 40 36 58 1,190 Ferdowsi university campus 3-7 59 35 36 17 970 North khorasan Darkash and Havar 4-1 56 44 37 26 1,050 Sistan and Baluchestan Sarbaz river valley 5-1 37 26 15 61 900 Fars Shiraz 6-1 52 32 29 37 1,530 Hormozgan Bandar abbas 7-1 56 17 27 11 10 a Regions code refers to assumed code for each region to summarize the name of locations that plants collected Fig. 1 Top views of the multi-dish used for testing the plant allelopathy (The distance from center of plant sample well to center of other wells are 41, 58, 82 and 92 mm) 2.2 Dish pack method period. In this experiment multi-dishes, which each one had six holes, were used. Each hole had 3.5 cm The dish pack method as described by Fujii et al. diameter (Nunc company, Japan) for the assay (2000) utilized for screening the presence of allelo- (Fig. 1). The distance from center of plant sample pathic volatiles released from different parts of the hole to center of other holes were 41, 58, 82 and plant specimen. This method can be used to recognize 92 mm. Two grams of fresh samples (leaf, seed, allelopathic properties very easy and quickly, hence, flower, gum, corm, stigma, calyx, fruit peel or several plant materials can be tested in a very short rhizome) were placed in one well (source well), while 123 192 Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. (2014) 26:189–199 the rest of the wells were over laid with filter paper In terms of lettuce radicle growth suppression prior to wet with distilled water (0.75 ml). Thereafter, ([96 %), Achillea wilhelmsii and Achillea filipendula over filter paper in each well seven lettuce (var. Great ranked top among the 118 tested plant materials. We Lakes 366) seeds were placed. This variety of lettuce also found that ten plant species showed strong was selected because of its high sensitivity to allelo- inhibitory effects (83–95 %) on lettuce radicle growth chemicals as indicator in bioassay.

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