Investigation on Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antifungal and Herbicidal Activities of Volatile Constituents from Deverra tortuosa (Desf.)

This study aims to analyze the chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) obtained from stems and umbels of as well the assessment of their biological activity. EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antioxidant properties were determined by DPPH and ABTS assays. The phytotoxic potential was assessed against dicots weeds ( and ), monocots weeds ( ) and the crop . The antifungal activity was evaluated against four target phytopathogenic fungal strains. High diversity of compounds was detected in Eos, varying among plant parts and consisting mainly of -pinene (24.47-28.56%), sabinene (16.2-18.6%), -phellandrene (6.3-11.7%) and -ocimene (5.28-7.85%). EOs exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, as well as interesting variable antifungal activities depending on the dose and fungi strain. The herbicidal activity of EOs showed significant efficacy on the inhibition of germination and seedling growth of all tested herbs. These results suggest that the EOs of represent a valuable source of antioxidant, antifungal and phytotoxic metabolites and could be potential candidates for pest management, contributing to the promotion of sustainable agriculture.