Plant bioassay to assess the effects of allelochemicals on the metabolome of the target species Aegilops geniculata by an NMR-based approach

A metabolomic-based approach for the study of allelopathic interactions in the Mediterranean area is proposed using Aegilops geniculata Roth (Poaceae), a Mediterranean herbaceous plant, as test species. Its metabolome has been elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR experiments. Hydroponic plant cultures of A. geniculata were treated with specific compounds of known allelopathic potential: catechol, coumarin, p-coumaric acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid and juglone. The metabolic variations due to the presence of allelochemicals have been analyzed and measured. All of the compounds showed the strongest effects at the highest concentration, with coumarin and juglone as the most active compounds, causing an increase of several metabolites. The metabolome changes in test plants confirmed the allelochemicals' reported modes of action. The results demonstrated that the proposed method is a promising tool. It can be applied to plant extracts, making it possible to evidence the metabolites responsible for the activity, as well as their mechanisms of action. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.