Research on allelopathy in Mexico has focused on plant species with ecological importance, some of them with medicinal use. Seeds, fungi and insects have been used in bioassays directed to assess activity of plant extracts and isolates. Allelochemicals can modify cellular structure and activities including respiration and division. Research priorities are based on the vast diversity of Mexican flora, its potential as a source of useful natural products, and the lack of knowledge in these areas.Researchers of different disciplines have found allelopathy increasingly interesting because of potential application of allelopathic compounds as herbicides, pesticides or growth regulators. Allelopathy may also be used to further manage biotic resources.The physiological effects of compounds with phytotoxic activity (allelochemicals, and/or herbicides) vary widely. Almost all of these compounds act with specificity on different groups of organisms. This characteristic renders them attractive in the search for new bio-active compounds (1).We are currently conducting studies on different species of Mexican plants with ecological or medicinal importance. Traditional knowledge, so rich in Mexico, has frequently suggested where to look for active compounds. Knowing that allelochemicals may affect different life organization levels -communities, organisms, tissues, cells, organelles and metabolic processes-plant extracts and isolated compounds have been evaluated using seeds, phytopathogenic fungi and insects as bioassays. Germination, growth, development, reproduction and survival are first determined, followed by the evaluation of the possible modes of action of tested compounds on processes such as respiration, cell division, enzymatic activities, and structural arrangements of tissues and cells.
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