Biological activities of sesquiterpene lactones

The present review deals with the phenomenon of autotoxicity - a type of intraspecific allelopathy, where a plant species inhibits the growth of its own kind through the release of toxic chemicals into the environment. This phenomenon has been reported to occur in a number of weeds and crop plants in agroecosystem and wastelands causing the soil sickness. Besides, it plays a significant role in the orchards (of apple, pear, grapes, etc.) where it is the major reason of the replant problem, natural forests and coffee and tea plantations causing the regeneration problems. Not only the higher plants, but even some ferns and algae are also reported to show this phenomenon. Some plants have even developed extensive mechanisms to overcome this phenomenon, whereas the others have adapted to it by making structural and ecological changes providing to them a competitive ecological advantage over the others. Although autotoxicity is a natural phenomena providing selective benefit to the plant, yet the chemicals responsible for this have good potential for weed and pest management.

Autotoxicity: Concept, Organisms, and Ecological Significance

https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/3231/Belz_Residue%282007%29.pdf?sequence=1

Residue allelopathy in Parthenium hysterophorus L.—Does parthenin play a leading role?

Chapter 5 – Terpenoids

Scanning electron microscopy of the leaf surface, phyllaries and achene-complex ofParthenium hysterophorus L. showed the presence of 4 types of glandular and non-glandular trichomes. Chemical analysis established the presence of sesquiterpene lactones in the trichomes that cause eczematous dermatitis.

T. J. Mabry

Papers

Dermatologically active sesquiterpene lactones in trichomes of Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Compositae).