Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T13:30:29.441Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Allelopathic activity of annual wormwood (Artemisia annua) and the role of artemisinin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

John Lydon ,
John R. Teasdale  and
Peter K. Chen
John Lydon
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Weed Science Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705
John R. Teasdale
Affiliation:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Weed Science Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705
Peter K. Chen
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, Biology Department, Washington, D.C. 20057
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Leaf tissue and leaf-tissue extracts from annual wormwood and pure artemisinin were evaluated for their effects on plant growth when incorporated into sandy loam soil. Dried leaf tissue was successively extracted with methylene chloride (MeCl2), ethanol (EtOH), and water, and the extracts and residue were reduced to dryness and stored at −20 C. Leaf tissue was incorporated in soil at rates equivalent to 0, 0.37, 0.73, or 1.1% (w/w) based on soil dry weight. Peat moss treated with extracts or artemisinin was incorporated into soil at a rate equivalent to the 0.73% (w/w) treatment. Inhibition of growth was species-specific; estimated reduction of dry weight by 0.73% (w/w) leaf tissue was 82, 49, 25, and 9% for redroot pigweed, common lambsquarters, soybean, and corn, respectively. The effects of the MeCl2 extract, which contained all of the extractable artemisinin, on germination and growth of redroot pigweed were similar to that of leaf tissue. Annual wormwood leaf tissue and MeCl2-extract treatments were the only treatments that resulted in a reduction in seedling survival. Artemisinin at levels equivalent to that contained in the MeCl2 extract and leaf-tissue treatments had significantly less effect on seedling survival, germination, and growth of redroot pigweed than the MeCl2 extract. Furthermore, the aqueous extract, which did not contain artemisinin, and the extract residue had activities similar to that of the artemisinin treatment. Thus, the allelopathic effects of annual wormwood can not be attributed to artemisinin alone.

Keywords

Annual wormwood, Artemisia annua L.redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L.common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L.corn, Zea mays L.sobyean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.Allelopathynatural phytotoxincover cropARTANAMARECHEAL
Type
Weed Management
Information
Weed Science , Volume 45 , Issue 6 , December 1997 , pp. 807 - 811
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Banthorpe, D. V., Baxendale, D., Gatford, C., and Williams, S. R. 1971. Monoterpenes of some Artemisia and Tanacetum species grown in England. Planta Med. 20: 147–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bhowmik, P. C. and Doll, J. D. 1982. Corn and soybean response to allelopathic effects of weed and crop residues. Agron. J. 74: 601–606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhowmik, P. C. and Doll, J. D. 1984. Allelopathic effects of annual weed residues on growth and nutrient uptake of corn and soybeans. Agron. J. 76: 383–388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, P. K. and Leather, G. R. 1990. Plant growth regulatory activities of artemisinin and its related compounds. J. Chem. Ecol. 16: 1867–1876.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duke, S. O., Vaughn, K. C., Croom, E. M. Jr., and ElSohly, H. N. 1987. Artemisinin, a constituent of annual wormwood (Artemisia annua), is a selective phytotoxin. Weed Sci. 35: 499–505.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Funke, G. L. 1943. The influence of Artemisia absinthium on neighboring plants. Blumea 5: 281–293.Google Scholar
Groves, C. R. and Anderson, J. E. 1981. Allelopathic effects of Artemisia tridentata leaves on germination and growth of two grass species. Am. Midl. Nat. 106: 73–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grümmer, G. 1961. The role of toxic substances in the interrelationships between plants. Pages 219–228 in Milthorpe, F. L., ed. Mechanisms in Biological Competition. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Halligan, J. P. 1976. Toxicity of Artemisia californica to four associated herb species. Am. Midl. Nat. 95: 406–421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heisey, R. M. and Delwiche, C. C. 1983. A survey of California plants for water-extractable and volatile inhibitors. Bot. Gaz. 144: 382–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klayman, D. L. 1985. Qinghaosu (artemisinin): an antimalarial drug from China. Science 228: 1049–1055.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, R. B. 1977. Effects of organic acids on the loss of ions from barley roots. J. Exp. Bot. 28: 518–587.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liersch, R., Soicke, H., Stehr, C., and Tüllner, H.-U. 1986. Formation of artemisinin in Artemisia annua during one vegetation period. Planta Med. 52: 387–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lydon, J. and Duke, S. O. 1989. The potential of pesticides from plants. Pages 1–40 in Craker, L. E. and Simon, J. E., eds. Herbs, Spices, and Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances in Botany, Horticulture, and Pharmacology. Volume 4. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.Google Scholar
Marco, J. A. and Barbera, O. 1990. Natural products from the genus Artemisia L. Stud. Nat. Prod. Chem. 7: 201–264.Google Scholar
Putnam, A. R. and DeFrank, J. 1979. Use of allelopathic cover crops to inhibit weeds. Science 36: 580–582.Google Scholar
Putnam, A. R. and DeFrank, J. 1983. Use of phytotoxic plant residues for selective weed control. Crop Prot. 2: 173–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roth, R. J. and Acton, N. 1989. A simple conversion of artemisinic acid into artemisinin. J. Nat. Prod. 52: 1183–1185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sahid, I. B. and Sugau, J. B. 1993. Allelopathic effect of lantana and siam weed on selected crops. Weed Sci. 41: 303–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teasdale, J. R. 1997. Cover crops, smother plants, and weed management. Adv. Soil Sci. In press.Google Scholar
Touchette, R., Leroux, G. D., and Deschěnes, J. M. 1988. Allelopathic activity of quackgrass (Agropyron repens) extracts and residues on alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Can. J. Plant Sci. 68: 785–792.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, R. H., Worsham, A. D., and Blum, U. 1989. Allelopathic potential of legume debris and aqueous extracts. Weed Sci. 37: 674–679.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willmer, C. M., Don, R., and Parker, W. 1978. Levels of short-chain fatty acids and of abscisic acid in water-stressed and non-stressed leaves and their effects on stomata in epidermal strips and excised leaves. Planta 139: 281–287.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yano, K. and Ishizu, T. 1994. Capellen, a seed germination inhibitor from Artemisia capillaris roots. Phytochemistry 37: 689–690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yun, K. W., Kil, B.-S., and Han, D. M. 1993. Phytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of volatile constituents of Artemisia princeps var. orientalis . J. Chem. Ecol. 19: 2757–2766.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, S.-S. and Zeng, M.-Y. 1985. Spektrometrische hochdruck-flüssigkeits-chromatographische (HPLC) u ntersuchungen zur analytik von qinghaosu. Planta Med. 51: 233–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar