Allelopathic potential and chemical constituents of volatile oil from Ageratum conyzoides

Fresh leaves and volatile oil of the important weed Ageratum conyzoides in south China were highly inhibitory to seedling growth of various cultivated crops, especially in an adverse habitat. The constituents of the volatile oil were analyzed by CC-MS. Eleven components were identified and six main components, precocene I, precocene II, 3,3-dimethyl-5-tert-butylindone, beta-caryophyllene, gamma-bisabolene, and fenchyl acetate, were isolated by means of column chromatography. Precocene I, precocene II, beta-caryophyllene, and 3,3-dimethyl-5-tert-butylindone inhibited seedling growth of acceptor plants. Inhibitory activity of the volatile oil was more intense than that of the pure components. Fenchyl acetate and gamma-bisabolene have no inhibitory activity, but when mixed with precocene II, they increased the inhibitory activity to growth of acceptor seedling plants. Experiments show that allelopathic synergism exists among allelochemicals of Ageratum conyzoides.