Allelopathic Potential of Aquatic Plants Associated with Wild Rice: II. Isolation and Identification of Allelochemicals

Aqueous extracts of rhizomes of Scirpus acutus and shoots of Eleocharis smallii were analyzed for the presence of phytotoxic compounds using ethyl acetate extraction. The organic fractions of the extract of Scirpus rhizomes contained lactic, succinic, fumaric, 2-hydroxysuccinic, 2-phenyl lactic, m-hydroxybenzoic, p-hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic, dehydroabietic, and ferulic acids; p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, p-hydroxyphenyl ethanol and catechin. The extract of Eleocharis shoots contained 4-methoxy phenol, benzofuran, benzene acetic acid, 1-hydroxy-5-methyl acetophenone, and 1,3,4-dimethoxyphenol ethanone identified by GC-Mass spectroscopy. The potential allelopathic effect of these compounds on wild rice under field conditions was discussed.