Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Eight Tunisian <i>Eucalyptus</i> Species and Their Antifungal and Herbicidal Activities
Amira Ayed,
Flavio Polito,
Hedi Mighri,
Mouna Souihi,
Lucia Caputo,
Lamia Hamrouni,
Ismail Amri,
Filomena Nazzaro,
Vincenzo De Feo,
Ann M. Hirsch,
Yassine Mabrouk
Affiliations
Amira Ayed
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology, National Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (CNSTN), Sidi Thabet Technopark, Sidi Thabet 2020, Tunisia
Flavio Polito
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via San Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Hedi Mighri
Range Ecology Laboratory, Arid Region Institute, University of Gabes, El-Jorf Road Km 22.5, Medenine 4119, Tunisia
Mouna Souihi
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology, National Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (CNSTN), Sidi Thabet Technopark, Sidi Thabet 2020, Tunisia
Lucia Caputo
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via San Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Lamia Hamrouni
Laboratory of Management and Valorization of Forest Resources, National Institute of Researches on Rural Engineering, Water and Forests, P.B. 10, Ariana 2080, Tunisia
Ismail Amri
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology, National Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (CNSTN), Sidi Thabet Technopark, Sidi Thabet 2020, Tunisia
Filomena Nazzaro
Institute of Food Science, National Research Council of Italy, Via Roma, 64, 83100 Avellino, Italy
Vincenzo De Feo
Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via San Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Ann M. Hirsch
Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Yassine Mabrouk
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology, National Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technologies (CNSTN), Sidi Thabet Technopark, Sidi Thabet 2020, Tunisia
Eucalyptus species are known to produce metabolites such as essential oils (EOs) that play an important role in the control of weeds, pests and phytopathogenic fungi. The aims of this study were as follows: (i) to determine the chemical composition of the EOs derived from eight Eucalyptus species growing in Tunisia, and (ii) to study their possible antifungal and herbicidal activities. EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation from the dried leaves of eight Eucalyptus species, namely, E. angulosa, E. cladocalyx, E. diversicolor, E. microcoryx, E. ovata, E. resinifera, E. saligna and E. sargentii, and the determination of their composition was achieved by GC and GC-MS. The EOs’ antifungal activities were tested against four Fusarium strains, and the EOs’ herbicidal properties were evaluated on the germination and seedling growth of three annual weeds (Trifolium campestre, Lolium rigidum and Sinapis arvensis) and three cultivated crop species (Lepidium sativum, Raphanus sativus and Triticum durum). The EO yields ranged between 0.12 and 1.32%. The most abundant components found were eucalyptol, α-pinene, p-cymene, trans-pinocarveol, α-terpineol and globulol. All EOs showed significant antifungal activity against the four phytopathogenic Fusarium strains. E. cladocalyx EO exhibited the highest level of antifungal activity, and the greatest inhibition of seed germination was obtained even at lowest concentrations used. These findings suggested that E. resinifera, E. ovata and E. cladocalyx EOs could have applications in agriculture as possible biopesticides, as Fusarium antagonists and as bioherbicides.
