Abstract
The phytotoxin (±)-catechin has been proposed to mediate invasion and autoinhibition by the Eurasian plant Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed). The importance of (±)-catechin to C. maculosa ecology depends in part on whether sufficient catechin concentrations occur at appropriate times and locations within C. maculosa soil to influence neighboring plants. Previous research on catechin in C. maculosa soils has yielded conflicting results, with some studies finding high soil catechin concentrations and other, more recent studies finding little or no catechin in field soils. Here, we report the most extensive study of soil catechin concentrations to date. We examined soil catechin concentrations in 402 samples from 11 C. maculosa sites in North America sampled in consecutive months over 1 yr, excluding winter months. One site was sampled on seven dates, another was sampled twice, and the remaining nine sites were each sampled once on a range of sampling dates. Methods used were similar to those with which we previously measured high soil catechin concentrations. We detected catechin only in the site that was sampled on seven dates and only on one sampling date in that site (May 16 2006), but in all samples collected on that date. The mean soil catechin concentration on that date was 0.65 ± 0.45 (SD) mg g−1, comparable to previously reported high concentrations. There are a number of possible explanations for the infrequency with which we detected soil catechin in this work compared to previous studies. Differences in results could reflect spatial and temporal variation in catechin exudation or degradation, as we examined different sites in a different year from most previous studies. Also, large quantities of catechin were detected in blanks for two sampling periods in the present study, leading us to discard those data. This contamination suggests that previous reports of high catechin concentrations that did not include blanks should be viewed with caution. Our results suggest that pure catechin is only rarely present in C. maculosa bulk soils. Thus, although catechin may play a role in C. maculosa invasion, the infrequency of soil catechin that we determined in this study suggests that we cannot be as certain of its role as previous reports of high soil catechin concentrations suggested.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
Appel, H. M. 1993. Phenolics in ecological interactions: the importance of oxidation. J. Chem. Ecol. 19:1521–1552.
Bais, H. P., Walker, T. S., Stermitz, F. R., Hufbauer, R. A., and Vivanco, J. M. 2002. Enantiomeric-dependent phytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of (±)-catechin. A rhizosecreted racemic mixture from spotted knapweed. Plant Physiol. 128:1173–1179.
Bais, H. P., Vepachedu, R., Gilroy, S., Callaway, R. M., and Vivanco, J. M. 2003. Allelopathy and exotic plant invasion: From molecules and genes to species interactions. Science 301:1377–1380.
Blair, A. C., Hanson, B. D., Brunk, G. R., Marrs, R. A., Westra, P., Nissen, S. J., and Hufbauer, R. A. 2005. New techniques and findings in the study of a candidate allelochemical implicated in invasion success. Ecol. Lett. 8:1039–1047.
Blair, A. C., Nissen, S. J., Brunk, G. R, and Hufbauer, R. A. 2006. A lack of evidence for an ecological role of the putative allelochemical (±)-catechin in spotted knapweed invasion success. J. Chem. Ecol. 32:2327–2331.
Buta, J. G. and Lusby, W. R. 1986. Catechins as germination and growth inhibitors in lespedeza seeds. Phytochemistry 25:93–95.
Callaway, R. M. and Aschehoug, E. T. 2000. Invasive plants versus their new and old neighbors: A mechanism for exotic invasion. Science 290:521–523.
Callaway, R. M. and Ridenour, W. M. 2004. Novel weapons: Invasive success and the evolution of increased competitive ability. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 2:436.
Callaway, R. M., Ridenour, W. M. Laboski, T. Weir, T., and Vivanco, J. M. 2005. Natural selection for resistance to the allelopathic effects of invasive plants. J. Ecol. 93:576–583.
D’Abrosca, B., Dellagreca, M., Fiorention, A., Isidori, M., Monaco, P., and Pacifico, S. 2006. Chemical constituents of the aquatic plant Schoenoplectus lacustris: evaluation of phytotoxic effects on the green alga Selenatrum capricornutum. J. Chem. Ecol. 32:81–96.
Fletcher, R. A. and Renney, A. J. 1963. A growth inhibitor found in Centaurea species. Can. J. Plant Sci. 43:475–481.
Furubayashi, A., Hiradate, S., and Fujii, Y. 2007. Role of catechol structure in the adsorption and transformation reactions of l-Dopa in soils. J. Chem. Ecol. 33:239–250.
Iqbal, Z., Hiradate, S., Noda, A., Isojima, S., and Fujii, Y. 2003. Allelopathic activity of buckwheat: Isolation and characterization of phenolics. Weed Sci. 51:657–662.
Kelsey, R. G. and Locken, L. J. 1987. Phytotoxic properties of cnicin, a sesquiterpene lactone from Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed). J. Chem. Ecol. 13:19–33.
Perry, L. G., Johnson, C., Alford, É. R., Vivanco, J. M., and Paschke, M. W. 2005a. Screening of grassland plants for restoration after spotted knapweed invasion. Restor. Ecol. 13:725–735.
Perry, L. G., Thelen, G. C., Ridenour, W. M., Weir, T. L., Callaway, R. M., Paschke, M. W., and Vivanco, J. M. 2005b. Dual role for an allelochemical: (±)-catechin from Centaurea maculosa root exudates regulates conspecific seedling establishment. J. Ecol. 93:1126–1135.
Ridenour, W. M. and Callaway, R. M. 2001. The relative importance of allelopathy in interference: The effects of an invasive weed on a native bunchgrass. Oecologia 126:444–450.
Thelen, G. C., Vivanco, J. M., Newingham, B., Good, W., Bais, H. P., Landres, P., Caesar, A., and Callaway, R. M. 2005. Insect herbivory stimulates allelopathic exudation by an invasive plant and the suppression of natives. Ecol. Lett. 8:209–217.
Thorpe, A. 2006. Biochemical effects of Centaurea maculosa on soil nutrient cycles and plant communities. PhD Dissertation. University of Montana, Missoula.
Tyser, R. W. and Key, C. H. 1988. Spotted knapweed in natural area fescue grasslands: An ecological assessment. Northwest Sci. 62:981–987.
USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database http://plants.usda.gov, 21 February 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
Watson, A. K. and Renney, A. J. 1974. The biology of Canadian weeds. 6. Centaurea diffusa and Centaurea maculosa. Can. J. Plant Sci. 54:687–701.
Weir, T. L., Bais, H. P., and Vivanco, J. M. 2003. Intraspecific and interspecific interactions mediated by a phytotoxin, (−)-catechin, secreted by the roots of Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed). J. Chem. Ecol. 29:2379–2394.
Weir, T. L., Bais, H. P., Stull, V. J., Callaway, R. M., Thelen, G. C., Ridenour, W. M., Bhamidi, S., Stermitz, F. R., and Vivanco, J. M. 2006. Oxalate contributes to the resistance of Gaillardia grandiflora and Lupinus sericeus to a phytotoxin produced by Centaurea maculosa. Planta 223:785–795.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Defense SERDP (SI-1388 to J.M.V., M.W.P. and R.M.C.). Corey Broekling performed mass spectrometry analyses to confirm the presence of catechin in samples with catechin. Tiffany Weir provided helpful discussions and HPLC troubleshooting. Tom Bassett, Kyle Evans, Courtney Hall, and Nick Wegman assisted with soil sample collection. We thank John Romeo and four anonymous reviewers for comments on previous versions of the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Perry, L.G., Thelen, G.C., Ridenour, W.M. et al. Concentrations of the Allelochemical (±)-Catechin IN Centaurea maculosa Soils. J Chem Ecol 33, 2337–2344 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9383-1
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-007-9383-1