Abstract
Bioactivity-directed fractionation of a root extract ofDuroia hirsuta (Rubiaceae), a toxic and potentially allelopathic understory tree from the western Amazon, has led to the isolation of the tetracyclic iridoid lactone, plumericin (1). Bioassays showing plumericin strongly inhibited lettuce radicle elongation at a concentration (IC50) of 35.8 μm/ml (123 μM). The isolation of a highly potent inhibitor of plant growth fromDuroia hirsuta supports the hypothesis that the lack of vegetation surrounding this tree is the result of allelopathy.
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Page, J.E., Madriñán, S. & Towers, G.H.N. Identification of a plant growth inhibiting iridoid lactone fromDuroia hirsuta, the allelopathic tree of the ‘Devil's Garden’. Experientia 50, 840–842 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01956467
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01956467