Molecules 2010, 15(6), 4309-4323; doi:10.3390/molecules15064309
Article

Phytotoxic Activities of Mediterranean Essential Oils

Luiz Fernando Rolim De Almeida 1 email, Fernando Frei 2 email, Emilia Mancini 3 email, Laura De Martino 3 email and Vincenzo De Feo 3,* email
1 Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, UNESP - Campu de Botucatu Distrito de Rubião Júnior, S/N, 18.618-000, Botucatu-SP, Brazil 2 Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Ciências e Letras, UNESP – Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida Dom Antonio, 19806-900, Assis-SP, Brazil 3 Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Salerno, via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 28 April 2010; in revised form: 9 June 2010 / Accepted: 11 June 2010 / Published: 14 June 2010
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Abstract: Twelve essential oils from Mediterranean aromatic plants were tested for their phytotoxic activity, at different doses, against the germination and the initial radicle growth of seeds of Raphanus sativus, Lactuca sativa and Lepidium sativum. The essential oils were obtained from Hyssopus officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia, Majorana hortensis, Melissa officinalis, Ocimum basilicum, Origanum vulgare, Salvia officinalis and Thymus vulgaris (Lamiaceae), Verbena officinalis (Verbenaceae), Pimpinella anisum, Foeniculum vulgare and Carum carvi (Apiaceae). The germination and radicle growth of tested seeds were affected in different ways by the oils. Thyme, balm, vervain and caraway essential oils were more active against both germination and radicle elongation.
Keywords: essential oils; phytotoxicity; germination; seedling growth; monoterpenes

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

De Almeida, L.F.R.; Frei, F.; Mancini, E.; De Martino, L.; De Feo, V. Phytotoxic Activities of Mediterranean Essential Oils. Molecules 2010, 15, 4309-4323.

AMA Style

De Almeida LFR, Frei F, Mancini E, De Martino L, De Feo V. Phytotoxic Activities of Mediterranean Essential Oils. Molecules. 2010; 15(6):4309-4323.

Chicago/Turabian Style

De Almeida, Luiz Fernando Rolim; Frei, Fernando; Mancini, Emilia; De Martino, Laura; De Feo, Vincenzo. 2010. "Phytotoxic Activities of Mediterranean Essential Oils." Molecules 15, no. 6: 4309-4323.

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