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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » Natural Products Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #129351
Title: VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS FROM LEAVES OF CALLICARPA JAPONICA (THUNB)

Author
item Kobaisy, Mozaina
item Tellez, Mario
item Dayan, Franck
item Duke, Stephen

Submitted to: Phytochemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/30/2002
Publication Date: 9/16/2002
Citation: KOBAISY, M.M., TELLEZ, M.R., DAYAN, F.E., DUKE, S.O. VOLATILE CONSTITUENTS FROM LEAVES OF CALLICARPA JAPONICA (THUNB). PHYTOCHEMISTRY. 2002. V. 61:37-40.

Interpretive Summary: Many of the currently used synthetic pesticides are in the process of being phased out or of facing severe limitations on their use. Finding new pesticides from natural sources will not only help replace synthetic pesticides lost to regulatory processes but will help in finding more environmentally benign pesticides that might be even more apt at treating pesticide resistant pests. We have identified 84 compounds in the fraction commonly referred to as the essential oil of the plant Callicarpa japonica. We have also shown that this essential oil may be selectively useful as herbicide (weed killer).

Technical Abstract: The essential oil from the leaves of Callicarpa japonica was analyzed by GC-MS, and 84 compounds were identified. The main constituents of the essential oil were spathulenol (18.1%), germacrene B (13.0%), bicyclogermacrene (11.0%), globulol (3.3%), viridiflorol (2.6%), alpha-guaiene (2.3%), and gamma-elemene (2.0%). The essential oil constituents of C. japonica were significantly different from those found in our previous work on Callicarpa americana. The oil of C. japonica was selectively phytotoxic to bentgrass compared to lettuce seeds, with 80-100% growth reduction observed at 0.3 mg/mL.