The chemical content of essential oils (EO) obtained from the leaves of four Pinaceae (Abies alba, Picea abies, Pinus cembra and Pinus mugo) was investigated by SPME-GC-MS technique. The vapor… Click to show full abstract
The chemical content of essential oils (EO) obtained from the leaves of four Pinaceae (Abies alba, Picea abies, Pinus cembra and Pinus mugo) was investigated by SPME-GC-MS technique. The vapor phase was characterized by the monoterpenes with values higher than 95.0%. Among them, α-pinene (24.7–48.5%), limonene (17.2–33.1%) and β-myrcene (9.2–27.8%) were the most abundant. The monoterpenic fraction prevailed over the sesquiterpenic one (≥74.7%) in the EO liquid phase. Limonene was the major compound in A. alba (30.4%), P. abies (20.3%) and P. mugo (78.5%), while α-pinene in P. cembra (36.2%). Regarding the phytotoxic properties, EOs were studied at different doses (2–100 μL) and concentrations (2–20/100 μL/mL). All EOs were found to be significantly active (p-value ˂ 0.05) against the two recipient species in a dose-dependent way. In pre-emergence tests, germination of Lolium multiflorum and Sinapis alba was reduced by up to 62–66% and 65–82%, respectively, as well as their growth by up to 60–74% and 65–67%, due to the effects of compounds in both the vapor and liquid phases. In post-emergence conditions, at the highest concentration, the phytotoxicity of EOs caused heavy symptoms and, in the case of S. alba, A. alba EO completely destroyed (100%) the treated seedlings.
               
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