A Study on the Phytotoxic Potential of the Seasoning Herb Marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) Leaves.
In the search of new alternatives for weed control, spices appear as an option with great potential. They are rich in bioactive natural products and edible, which might minimize toxicity hazard. Marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) is an aromatic herb that has been widely employed as a seasoning herb in Mediterranean countries. Although marjoram boasts a plethora of therapeutic properties (painkiller, antibiotic, treatment for intestinal disorders, etc.), the potential for its extracts for weed control is still to be more thoroughly explored. In order to determine their phytotoxic potential, marjoram leaves were subjected to different bioguided extraction processes, using water, ethyl acetate, acetone or methanol. The most active extract (acetone) was sequentially fractionated to identify its most active compounds. This fractionation led to the isolation and identification of 25 compounds that were classified as monoterpenes, diterpenes or flavonoids. Among them, a new compound named majoradiol and several compounds are described in marjoram for the first time. The phytotoxicity of the major compounds to etiolated wheat coleoptiles was compared against that of the commercial herbicide (Logran®), with similar or higher activity in some cases. These results confirm the extraordinary potential of the extracts from this edible plant to develop safer and more environmentally friendly herbicides.
['Cala|Antonio|A|0000-0001-5714-4556', 'Salcedo|José R|JR|', 'Torres|Ascensión|A|0000-0002-1078-8810', 'Varela|Rosa M|RM|0000-0003-3616-9134', 'Molinillo|José M G|JMG|0000-0002-7844-9401', 'Macías|Francisco A|FA|0000-0001-8862-2864']
D005591:Chemical Fractionation D005419:Flavonoids D006540:Herbicides D019083:Mediterranean Region D015394:Molecular Structure D031341:Origanum D064209:Phytochemicals D018515:Plant Leaves D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds D013729:Terpenes D058728:Weed Control
phytotoxic marjoram Origanum majorana L. spice monoterpene diterpene flavonoid wheat coleoptile bioassay bioguided fractionation