IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science (IOSR-JAVS)

Abstract

This study was aimed to compare allelopathic effect of tannic acid with the successive solvent extract fractions of aerial parts of Ampelocissus latifolia and to identify the qualitatively superior allelopathic (inhibitory) phenolic fraction in terms of growth retardation effects in wheat root apical meristems in laboratory conditions. Five extract fractions were prepared using soxhlet apparatus by sequentially passing organic solvents with increasing polarity index through the fixed amount of dried leaf powder and the allelopathic inhibitory action of the extract fractions was studied using wheat seedlings and that was compared with the allelopathic action of tannic acid. All the test fractions and tannic acid were found to be effective regarding wheat root growth retardation in a dose dependent manner. IC50 values were calculated as 2.8, 1.6, 0.8, 1.1, 1.6 and 0.17 mg/ml respectively for petroleum ether (PEEF), chloroform (CEF), ethyl acetate (EAEF), methanolic (MEF) and aqueous extract fraction (AEF) and tannic acid. Tannic acid caused 93.67% growth inhibition at 1 mg/ml after 48 h. Comparative data indicated that MEF caused maximum growth inhibition (94.76% growth inhibition at 4 mg/ml after 48 h) as it contains highest amount of plant phenolics, followed by EAEF, CEF, AEF and PEEF, but while considering % root growth inhibition in terms of per phenolic mg %, EAEF showed the highest potency. Here, not only the quantity of phenolics but also the quality of phenolics is an important factor for allelopathic actions. Thus tannic acid and EAEF phenolic component may be considered as substitute of chemical herbicides