Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops
Allelopathy, a biological phenomenon where plants release chemicals that influence the growth and development of neighboring flora, offers potential natural alternatives for weed management in agriculture. This study investigated the allelopathic effects of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> le...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Horticulturae |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/2/135 |
| _version_ | 1797298069097676800 |
|---|---|
| author | Pervin Akter Tahera Siddiqua Rabeya Begum A. M. Abu Ahmed |
| author_facet | Pervin Akter Tahera Siddiqua Rabeya Begum A. M. Abu Ahmed |
| author_sort | Pervin Akter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Allelopathy, a biological phenomenon where plants release chemicals that influence the growth and development of neighboring flora, offers potential natural alternatives for weed management in agriculture. This study investigated the allelopathic effects of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> leaf and root extracts on the germination, growth, and biochemical parameters of eight cucurbit crops. Results demonstrated that <i>H</i>. <i>indicum</i> extracts generally inhibited seed germination across all cucurbit species, with aqueous extracts showing a stronger effect than methanol extracts in <i>Lagenaria siceraria</i> at 10.66 ± 0.46% (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The treatment also variably affected shoot and root growth, indicating both inhibitory and stimulatory actions, depending on the crop species and extract type. For instance, in methanol extract treatments, <i>Benincasa hispida’s</i> shoot length was significantly reduced, compared to the control, at 2.1 ± 0.14 cm (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Notably, aqueous leaf extracts enhanced chlorophyll content more effectively than root extracts, suggesting a potential application as a biostimulant, to improve photosynthetic efficiency in certain species, for example, <i>Momordica charantia</i> (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The study further explored the antioxidative potential of the extracts by measuring MDA levels, a biomarker for oxidative stress. MDA levels increased significantly across all species in response to both types of extracts, indicating oxidative stress (<i>L. siceraria p</i> < 0.05). These findings suggest the potential of <i>H. indicum</i> extracts as natural herbicides and biostimulants, though their effects are species-specific and dependent on concentration. This research contributes to understanding the complex interactions in plant allelopathy, and highlights the potential of plant-derived extracts in sustainable agriculture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:30:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40ac63db0967432f92b7bded8d28a56b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:30:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj.art-40ac63db0967432f92b7bded8d28a56b2024-02-23T15:18:41ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242024-01-0110213510.3390/horticulturae10020135Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit CropsPervin Akter0Tahera Siddiqua1Rabeya Begum2A. M. Abu Ahmed3Department of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, BangladeshDepartment of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, BangladeshDepartment of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, BangladeshDepartment of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, BangladeshAllelopathy, a biological phenomenon where plants release chemicals that influence the growth and development of neighboring flora, offers potential natural alternatives for weed management in agriculture. This study investigated the allelopathic effects of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> leaf and root extracts on the germination, growth, and biochemical parameters of eight cucurbit crops. Results demonstrated that <i>H</i>. <i>indicum</i> extracts generally inhibited seed germination across all cucurbit species, with aqueous extracts showing a stronger effect than methanol extracts in <i>Lagenaria siceraria</i> at 10.66 ± 0.46% (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The treatment also variably affected shoot and root growth, indicating both inhibitory and stimulatory actions, depending on the crop species and extract type. For instance, in methanol extract treatments, <i>Benincasa hispida’s</i> shoot length was significantly reduced, compared to the control, at 2.1 ± 0.14 cm (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Notably, aqueous leaf extracts enhanced chlorophyll content more effectively than root extracts, suggesting a potential application as a biostimulant, to improve photosynthetic efficiency in certain species, for example, <i>Momordica charantia</i> (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The study further explored the antioxidative potential of the extracts by measuring MDA levels, a biomarker for oxidative stress. MDA levels increased significantly across all species in response to both types of extracts, indicating oxidative stress (<i>L. siceraria p</i> < 0.05). These findings suggest the potential of <i>H. indicum</i> extracts as natural herbicides and biostimulants, though their effects are species-specific and dependent on concentration. This research contributes to understanding the complex interactions in plant allelopathy, and highlights the potential of plant-derived extracts in sustainable agriculture.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/2/135allelopathyhatisurcucurbit cropsseed germinationchlorophyll contentmalondialdehyde (MDA) levels |
| spellingShingle | Pervin Akter Tahera Siddiqua Rabeya Begum A. M. Abu Ahmed Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops Horticulturae allelopathy hatisur cucurbit crops seed germination chlorophyll content malondialdehyde (MDA) levels |
| title | Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops |
| title_full | Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops |
| title_short | Evaluation of the Allelopathic Activity of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of <i>Heliotropium indicum</i> Leaves and Roots on Eight Cucurbit Crops |
| title_sort | evaluation of the allelopathic activity of aqueous and methanol extracts of i heliotropium indicum i leaves and roots on eight cucurbit crops |
| topic | allelopathy hatisur cucurbit crops seed germination chlorophyll content malondialdehyde (MDA) levels |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/2/135 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pervinakter evaluationoftheallelopathicactivityofaqueousandmethanolextractsofiheliotropiumindicumileavesandrootsoneightcucurbitcrops AT taherasiddiqua evaluationoftheallelopathicactivityofaqueousandmethanolextractsofiheliotropiumindicumileavesandrootsoneightcucurbitcrops AT rabeyabegum evaluationoftheallelopathicactivityofaqueousandmethanolextractsofiheliotropiumindicumileavesandrootsoneightcucurbitcrops AT amabuahmed evaluationoftheallelopathicactivityofaqueousandmethanolextractsofiheliotropiumindicumileavesandrootsoneightcucurbitcrops |