• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.421-428
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• 2010

A foliage contact herbicidal substance was separated from ethyl ether fraction in n-hexane extract of Saussurea lappa roots and identified as dehydrocostus lactone [(3aS,6aR,9aR,9bS)-3,6,9-trimethylidene-3a,4,5,6a,7,8,9a,9b-octahydroazuleno[5,4-d]furan-2-one](DHCL). When DHCL at 4,000 ppm was foliage-applied to two grasses and two broadleaf plants, greater than 85% necrotic injury was obtained from large crabgrass, maize and soybean, whereas only about 40% necrotic injury appeared in black nightshade, indicating that DHCL has no gross morphological selectivity, but shows difference in contact response among the plant species tested. Conductivity in incubation medium of the leaf disks treated with DHCL increased as the incubation time continued. Relatively low contact injury in black nightshade as compared with the other three plant species tested was attributed to decrease in absorption of DHCL due to relatively high amount of cuticle. DHCL did not require light in the herbicidal action and there were no inhibitory effects on seed germination and cell elongation. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity was inhibited by 30% and 58% at $100\;{\mu}M$ and $1000\;{\mu}M$ DHCL, respectively. These results suggested that the herbicidal action of DHCL was related with inhibition of fatty acid synthesis which in turn caused to weaken cell membrane integrity.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.250-259
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• 2011

This study was conducted to assess the possibility of 5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DHNQ) as a environmental friendly herbicide candidate. Foliar application of DHNQ showed excellent herbicidal effect to the 3 grasses and 5 broad-leaved weeds. Among them, Digitaria sanguinalis and Solanum nigrum were completely controlled by $250{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ of DHNQ with main symptoms of desiccation or burndown within 24 hours. Aeschynomene indica was also sensitive to DHNQ treatment. All of the eight weed species were controlled by 90~100% at a concentration of $1000{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$. However, soil application of DHNQ to Digitaria sanguinalis did not show any herbicidal symptoms. DHNQ strongly inhibited KAPAS activities in vitro and the $IC_{50}$ was $4.4{\mu}M$. Cellular leakage from cucumber leaf squares treated with DHNQ increased depending on the concentrations increased from 6.25 to $100{\mu}M$ after 24 hours incubation with or without light. However, chlorophyll loss in cucumber leaf squares was negligible. Biotin supplements significantly rescued the inhibition of germination rate of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds previously inhibited by the DHNQ. According to above results, DHNQ is a good natural herbicide candidate having a new target KAPAS, which is involved in biotin biosynthesis pathway, with environmental friendly.