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Chemical composition of Eucalyptus erythrocorys essential oils and evaluation of their herbicidal and antifungal activities

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Jessica Vallance (UMR 1065 Santé et Agroécologie du Vignoble INRA, Bordeaux, France) for revising the English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Campus Universitaire, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Asma Ben Ghnaya

  2. Laboratoire de Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria (CBBC), BP 901, 2050, Hammam-lif, Tunisia

    Mohsen Hanana

  3. Laboratoire d’Ecologie et d’Amélioration Sylvo-Pastorale, Institut National de Recherches en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts, PB 10, 2080, Ariana, Tunisia

    Ismail Amri, Hazar Balti & Lamia Hamrouni

  4. Laboratoire de Protection des Végétaux, Institut National de Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, PB 10, 2080, Ariana, Tunisia

    Samia Gargouri

  5. Laboratoire des Matériaux, Institut Supérieur d’Education et de Formation Continue, 43 Rue de la Liberté, 2019, Le Bardo, Tunisia

    Bassem Jamoussi

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  1. Asma Ben Ghnaya
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  2. Mohsen Hanana
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  3. Ismail Amri
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  6. Bassem Jamoussi
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  7. Lamia Hamrouni
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Correspondence to Asma Ben Ghnaya.

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Communicated by M. B. Isman.

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Ben Ghnaya, A., Hanana, M., Amri, I. et al. Chemical composition of Eucalyptus erythrocorys essential oils and evaluation of their herbicidal and antifungal activities. J Pest Sci 86, 571–577 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-013-0501-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-013-0501-2

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