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The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the biological, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and antiproliferative activities of different extracts of mungbean seeds and sprouts. All extracts from the sprouts showed higher contents of total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than from seeds. The highest DPPH and tyrosinase inhibition activities were registered in ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract. ADH activity of methanol (MeOH), n-hexane (n-hexane) and n-butanol (n-BuOH) extracts from sprouts was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than from seeds. However, the highest ADH activity was found in water extract of seeds. According to 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol -2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay, extracts from sprouts were more effective against Calu-6 (human pulmonary carcinoma) and SNU-601 (human gastric carcinoma) cells than from seeds. EtOAc extract showed the highest antiproliferative activity in both sprouts and seeds, followed by n-hexane extraction. During sprouting of mungbean, all the studied components significantly increased. In conclusion, the extracts of sprouts are more effective than from seeds and could be a potential source of antioxidants linked with health benefits.

Guenzi et al., 1964; McCalla and Haskins, 1964; Klein and Miller, 1980; Jensen et al., 1981; Jennings and Nel-Most assessments of allelopathy involve bioassays. Our objective son, 1998), but the causative chemical(s) have not been was to improve the sensitivity of an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedling bioassay for evaluating genetic tolerance to autotoxic leaf unequivocally identified. Autotoxicity in alfalfa may reextracts. In a petri dish assay on imbibed seed, light inhibited hypocotyl sult from an interaction of more than one chemical elongation of controls and increased root elongation. Root growth present in the shoot, especially in the leaves (Chung was sensitive to the autotoxin in both light and darkness. An agar and Miller, 1995). medium gave better root growth of controls and lower standard errorsMost assessments of allelopathy or autotoxicity inthan did filter paper when petri dishes were placed on edge to encourvolve bioassays of plant or soil extracts based on seed age downward root growth or were placed flat where roots grew germination or seedling growth. Generally, germination laterally. Hypocotyl growth was not very sensitive to the autotoxic

Compositae plants contain biologically active substances that are allelopathic to weed species. Aqueous extracts from leaves of 16 plants were bioassayed against lucerne (Medicago sativa) to determine their allelopathic effects, and the results showed the highest inhibition for the extracts from Lactuca sativa, Xanthium occidentale and Cirsium japonicum. The extracts applied to filter paper in Petri-dish bioassay tests significantly inhibited root growth of lucerne. Extracts of 40 g dry tissue L )1 from L. sativa, X. occidentale and C. japonicum were completely inhibitory to lucerne root growth, but hypocotyl growth of lucerne was less sensitive. Although allelopathic effects of methanol extracts were much less than those of coumarin or alachlor, early seedling growth of both lucerne and Echinochloa crus-galli was significantly reduced by methanol extracts. Mixture of L. sativa, X. occidentale and C. japonicum extracts had more inhibitory effects on test plants than each single extract treatment. By means of high-performance liquid chromatography, responsible causative allelopathic substances present in L. sativa, X. occidentale and C. japonicum were isolated from various fractions and identified as coumarin, trans-cinnamic acid, o-coumaric acid and p-coumaric acid. These results suggest that some Compositae have various herbicidal potentials, and that their activities, types and amount of causative compounds differ, depending on the plant species.