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Potential allelochemicals in root zone soils of Stellera chamaejasme L. and variations at different geographical growing sites

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Abstract

Populations of Stellera chamaejasme L. have been increasing constantly in recent years in some areas of the grassland in north China but why this toxic weed has become highly competitive is not clear. In order to determine if any potential allelochemicals are released into the soil environment by S. chamaejasme, we investigated the chemical composition of a water-washed solution of the living roots with rhizosphere soil. This led to the isolation and identification of seven compounds: umbelliferone (1), daphnoretin (2), chamaechromone (3), 7-methoxyneochamaejasmine A (4), mesoneochamaejasmin A (5), neochamaejasmin B (6), dihydrodaphnodorin B (7). All are secondary metabolites of S. chamaejasme. Bioassay showed that 1, 5 and 6 had a strong inhibitory effect on Festuca rubra L. and Medicago sativa seedlings. These compounds were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography in 25 root zone soil samples of S. chamaejasme collected at altitudes between 165 and 4741 m from the northeast to the Tibetan Plateau of China. All samples contained at least one of the phytotoxic compounds. Their content did not correlate with the altitude of the growing site. However, the level of chamaechromone negatively correlated with the soil pH. Principle components analysis indicated that the flavonoids might come from the same source. These potential allelochemicals from root release into the soil might play an important role in the highly competitive nature and broad ecological adaptability of S. chamaejasme in the wild.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Frank Stermitz for editorial assistance. This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31070386), Basic Research Program of Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (080423SYR1), the ‘Western Light’ associate scholar talent cultivation program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Province-academy Cooperation Program of Henan Province of China (NO. 102106000021) and the ‘One-Three-Five’ Strategic Planning of Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources and Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, People’s Republic of China

    Hongru Guo, Haiyan Cui, Hui Jin, Zhiqiang Yan & Bo Qin

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China

    Hongru Guo & Haiyan Cui

  3. School of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730000, People’s Republic of China

    Lan Ding

  4. State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, People’s Republic of China

    Bo Qin

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  1. Hongru Guo
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  2. Haiyan Cui
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  3. Hui Jin
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  4. Zhiqiang Yan
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  5. Lan Ding
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Correspondence to Bo Qin.

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Guo, H., Cui, H., Jin, H. et al. Potential allelochemicals in root zone soils of Stellera chamaejasme L. and variations at different geographical growing sites. Plant Growth Regul 77, 335–342 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-015-0068-4

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