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The chemical composition, and phytotoxic and antifungal activities of the essential oils isolated by using hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Tunisian rue were evaluated. Significant variations were observed among harvest periods. The analysis of the chemical composition by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry showed that 2-undecanone (33.4-49.8%), 2-heptanol acetate (13.5-15.4%) and α-pinene (9.8-11.9%) were the main components. The antifungal ability of rue essential oils was tested by using disc agar diffusion against ten plant pathogenic fungi. A high antifungal activity was observed for the essential oil isolated at flowering developmental phase. Furthermore, rue essential oils showed high level of herbicidal activity against several weeds.

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., (Copyright © 2014 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.)

This study aimed at the determination of chemical composition of essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation, and to evaluate their phytotoxic and antifungal activities. Leaves of Ruta chalepensis L. were collected from the region of Tensift Al Haouz (High Atlas Mountains) Marrakech, Morocco. The essential oil (oil yield is 0.56%) was analysed by GC-FID and GC/MS. Twenty-two compounds were identified and accounted for 92.4% of the total oil composition. The major components were undecan-2-one (49.08%), nonan-2-one (33.15%), limonene (4.19%) and decanone (2.71%). Antifungal ability of essential oils was tested by disc agar diffusion against five plant pathogenic fungi: Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium pseudograminearum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium polyphialidicum. The oils were also tested in vitro for herbicidal activity by determining their influence on the germination and the shoot and root growth of two weed species, Triticum durum and Phalaris canariensis L.

Essential oils isolated from needles of Pinus patula by hydrodistillation were analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty-eight compounds were identified, representing 98.3% of the total oil. The oil was rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons (62.4%), particularly alpha-pinene (35.2%) and beta-phellandrene (19.5%). The in vitro antifungal assay showed that P. patula oil significantly inhibited the growth of 9 plant pathogenic fungi. The oil, when tested on Sinapis arvensis, Lolium rigidum, Phalaris canariensis and Trifolium campestre, completely inhibited seed germination and seedling growth of all species. Our preliminary results showed that P. patula essential oil could be valorized for the control of weeds and fungal plant diseases.

The chemical composition, phytotoxic and antifungal activities of the essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from the needles of Tunisian Aleppo pine harvested from different provenances were evaluated. The chemical composition analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) revealed variability among provenances displaying interesting chemotypes, (Z)-caryophyllene (16.16–28.9%), β-myrcene (8.5–22.9%), α-pinene (11.7–13.14%), β-pinene (3.13–11.8%), bicyclogermacrene (5.2–12.37%), α-terpinolene (8.11–11.01%) and α-humulene (2.85–5.2%), which were the main components in the oil. Antifungal ability of Aleppo pine oils was tested by disc agar diffusion against 10 phytopathogenic fungi.Weak antifungal activity was observed for the essential oils isolated. Furthermore, in contrast, the herbicidal activity investigated for three common weeds in Tunisian cereal crops was very strong and seed germination was inhibited at a low concentration and their herbicidal effects were higher than those of a commercial herbicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation from the leaves of Tunisian Eucalyptus erythrocorys Linn. was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Fifteen compounds were identified, representing 97 % of total oil, which was found to be rich in oxygenated monoterpenes (66.7 %), particularly in 1,8-cineole (54.8 %). The yield and the physico-chemical properties of oil were determined. The study of antifungal activity revealed that E. erythrocorys essential oil significantly inhibited the growth of five plant pathogenic fungi especially Bipolaris sorikiniana and Botritys cinerea. Moreover, herbicidal properties of the oil, tested on Sinapis arvensis L. and Phalaris canariensis L. indicated that the E. erythrocorys oil completely inhibited the seed germination at high concentration (1.5 μl/ml), while at low doses (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 μl/ml) the oil acted by decreasing and delaying the germination and inhibiting the seedling growth of all tested weeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Tunisian Pinus pinea Linn. was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Sixty-six compounds were identified, representing 98.5% of total oil, which was found to be rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons (73.1%) particularly limonene (54.1%), α-pinene (7.7%), and β-pinene (3.4%). The yield and the physico-chemical properties were determined. Results of the antifungal activity study by in vitro contact assay showed that P. pinea oil significantly inhibited the growth of ten plant pathogenic fungi. Moreover, herbicidal properties of the oil, tested on Sinapis arvensis L., Lolium rigidum Gaud., and Raphanus raphanistrum L., indicated that the oil completely inhibited the seed germination at a high concentration, while at low doses the oil acted by decreasing and delaying the germination and inhibiting the seedling growth of all tested weeds unlike the commercial herbicide. Our results showed that P. pinea essential oil could be valorized as bioproduct for biocontrol of weeds and fungal plant diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study is in line with the valorization of Tunisian medicinal and aromatic plants in order to discover new bioactive natural products. So the aim was to characterized the physico-chemical properties and yield of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaves of Tunisian Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl.) Masters. Thirty one compounds were identified using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS): they accounted for 91% of the essential oil composition with a majority of monoterpenes hydrocarbons (62.80%), in particular α-pinene (56.21%) and β-myrcene (3.08%). Further investigations allowed the identification of oxygenated monoterpenes, which represented 18.98%, with 1,8-cineole as the major compound of this fraction. The oil antifungal activity was assessed towards five phytopathogenic fungi. The strongest activity was observed against Botrytis cinerea with 71.17% inhibition. The oil herbicidal properties were tested on Sinapis arvensis L. and Phalaris canariensis L. Results indicated that T. articulata essential oil completely inhibited the seed germination of S. arvensis L. at high concentration (4 μl/ml), while at low doses (1 and 2 μl/ml), it delayed the germination and reduced the seedling growth of both weeds tested. Indeed, the use of these essential oils causes inhibition of weeds germination by setting their vegetative growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]