TITLE:
Chemical Screening of Urochloa humidicola: Methods for Characterizing Secondary Metabolites and Allelopathic Activity on Forage Legumes
AUTHORS:
R. C. Ribeiro, M. G. de Carvalho, M. de L. L. de Moraes, R. O. P. Rossiello, D. R. de Oliveira, R. M. Q. de Amorim, E. Barbieri Junior
KEYWORDS:
Phenolic Compounds Legume-Forage Grasses Consortium, Capillary Electrophoresis, Macrotyloma axillare, Stylosanthes spp
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.9 No.6,
May
28,
2018
ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to identify the main classes
of secondary metabolites present in the root and shoot crude extracts and fractions
from the forage grass Urochloa humidicola (Rendle) Morrone & Zuloaga
and to evaluate the allelopathic effect of these metabolites on forage legumes for
intercropping. Phytochemical prospecting analyses, 1H NMR and capillary
electrophoresis were performed on extracts of U. humidicola. Allelopathic
activity was evaluated in germination of Stylosanthes, Macrotyloma axillare and Lactuca sativa L. (standard) in the presence of crude
extracts, isolated saponins, flavonoids and trans-cinnamic acid. The metabolite
classes present in the extracts could be determined by the combined use of the tested
analytical techniques, but their use alone was usually not sufficient to chemically
characterize the species. Capillary electrophoresis was effective in detecting phenolic
compounds. Macrotyloma axillare was tolerant to crude extracts of U. humidicola. Saponins and trans-cinnamic acid, but not the flavonoids,
reduced germination of the target plants.