The Use of Bio-Guided Fractionation to Explore the Use of Leftover Biomass in Dutch Flower Bulb Production as Allelochemicals against Weeds

Abstract

A major problem in flower bulb cultivation is weed control. Synthetic herbicides are mainly used, although they cause a range of problems, and integrated weed control through application of naturally occurring allelochemicals would be highly desirable. Flower bulb production creates large amounts of leftover biomass. Utilizing this source for weed control may provide new applications of the bulb crops. We therefore screened 33 flower bulb extracts for allelochemical activity against weeds. Several methanol and chloroform extracts were observed to inhibit germination and growth of Senecio vulgaris L. and Lolium perenne L., as representatives of di- and mono-cotyledonous weeds, respectively. Narciclasine was identified as the bioactive compound in Narcissus. The extract of Amaryllis belladonna L. was equally active, but did not contain any narciclasine. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the A. belladonna extract resulted in the identification of lycorine as the bio-active compound. The IC50 measured for radicle growth inhibition was 0.10 µM for narciclasine and 0.93 µM for lycorine, compared to 0.11 mM of chlorpropham, a synthetic herbicide. Therefore, the leftover biomass from the spring bulb industry represents an interesting potential source for promising allelochemicals for further studies on weed growth inhibition.

Alkaloid Constituents of the Amaryllidaceae Plant Amaryllis belladonna L

“…Fourteen of the identified alkaloids were detected for the first time in this species: trisphaeridine [2], buphanisine [3], anhydrolycorine [4], 11,12-dehydroanhydrolycorine [10], 6-methoxybuphanidrine [11], 3- O -acetylvittatine [12], buphanidrine [14], 1- O -acetyllycorine [17], 3- O -acetylpowelline [18], 6-hydroxybuphanidrine [21], 11- O -acetylambelline [22], 3- O -acetylhamayne [24], crinamidine [25] and distichamine [26]. All the alkaloids found in A. belladonna belong to the typical Amaryllidaceae alkaloid groups, including the lycorine, crinine and haemanthamine groups.…”

“…Thirty-one alkaloids have been previously identified in A. belladonna , including 1- O -acetylcaranine, 6-hydroxybuphanisine, 6-hydroxycrinine, 8-demethylmaritidine, 11-hydroxyvittatine, amarbellisine, amaryllidine, amaryllisine, ambelline, anhydrolycorinone, anhydrolycorinium, belladine, bellamarine, buphanamine, caranine, crinine, galanthamine, galanthine, hippadine, hippeastrine, ismine, lycorenine, lycorine, pancracine, parkacine, parkamine, powelline, pratorimine, pratosine, undulatine and vittatine [2,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21]. Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-neoplastic effects are associated with some of the alkaloids isolated from A. belladonna [2,20].…”

Thrips Resistance Screening Is Coming of Age: Leaf Position and Ontogeny Are Important Determinants of Leaf-Based Resistance in Pepper

“…In order to identify chemical traits conferring resistance to thrips, accessions with contrasting effects on thrips damage, such as CGN21469 (33), which is susceptible to F. occidentalis and moderately resistant to T. tabaci , might be interesting models for identifying defense compounds against different thrips species. This can be achieved, for example, by fractionation-driven bioassays (Rimando et al, 2001; Tsao et al, 2005; Wahyuni et al, 2013). This method integrates the process of separation of bio-active compounds by fractionation methods (e.g., liquid or gas chromatography) with results obtained from biological testing, e.g., thrips performance.…”

Chemical Principles of Boophone, Nerine, Crossyne, Clivia, Cryptostephanus, Haemanthus and Scadoxus of the South African Amaryllidaceae and Their Biological Properties

“…The 'Guernsey lily' Nerine sarniensis (L.) Herb. has been the subject of three investigations based on its alkaloid composition as well as its herbicidal and insecticidal effects [28][29][30]. Following its detection in MeOH bulb extracts of N. sarniensis, lycorine (3) (Figure 3) was shown to be the key principle responsible for its herbicidal effects against the common weed plant Senecio vulgaris L. [28].…”

“…has been the subject of three investigations based on its alkaloid composition as well as its herbicidal and insecticidal effects [28][29][30]. Following its detection in MeOH bulb extracts of N. sarniensis, lycorine (3) (Figure 3) was shown to be the key principle responsible for its herbicidal effects against the common weed plant Senecio vulgaris L. [28]. It manifested such effects of plant growth regulation by inhibiting both seedling coleoptile growth (IC 50 1.17 M) and radicle growth (IC 50 0.93 M) [28].…”