Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Tunisian Cupressus arizonica Greene Essential Oils |
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| Authors: | Amri Ismail Emilia Mancini Laura De?Martino Lamia Hamrouni Mohsen Hanana Bassem Jamoussi Samia Gargouri Mariarosa Scognamiglio Vincenzo De?Feo |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Laboratory for Forest Ecology, National Institute for Research in Rural Engineering, Water and Forests, BP 10, 2080 Ariana, Tunisia;2. Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I‐84084 Fisciano (Salerno) (phone: +39‐089969751;3. fax: +39‐089969602);4. Plant Molecular Physiology Laboratory, Center of Biotechnology of Borj‐Cèdria, BP 901, 2050 Hammam‐Lif, Tunisia;5. Chemistry Laboratory, Higher Institute of Education and Continuous Training, 43 Rue de la Liberté, 2019 Le Bardo, Tunisia;6. Laboratory of Plant Protection, National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia, Rue Hedi Karray, 2080 Ariana, Tunisia;7. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, I‐84084 Fisciano (Salerno) |
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| Abstract: | The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of leaves, stems, and female cones of Cupressus arizonica Greene , grown in Tunisia, was studied by GC‐FID and GC/MS analyses. Altogether, 62 compounds were identified, 62 in the leaf oil, 19 in the cone oil, and 24 in the stem oil. The cone and stem oils were mainly composed by monoterpene hydrocarbons (96.6 and 85.2%, resp.). In the leaf oil, the total sesquiterpene fraction constituted 36.1% and that of the monoterpene hydrocarbons 33.8% of the total oil composition. The three oils were evaluated for their in vitro herbicidal activity by determining their influence on the germination and the shoot and root growth of the four weed species Sinapis arvensis L., Lolium rigidum Gaudin , Trifolium campestre Schreb ., and Phalaris canariensis L. At the highest doses tested (0.8 and 1.0 mg/ml), the leaf essential oil inhibited either totally or almost completely the seed germination and the shoot and root growth of S. arvensis and T. campestre. The oils were also tested for their antifungal activity; however, their effects on the fungal growth were statistically not significant. |
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| Keywords: | Cupressus arizonica Essential oils Herbicidal activity Antifungal activity Principal component analysis (PCA) |
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