Assessment of the Allelopathic Effect, Antimicrobial Potential and Chemical Composition of Senecio anteuphorbium L. Essential Oil

Abstract

The essential oil of Senecio anteuphorbium L (Kleinia anteuphorbium L.) was isolated by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A total of 31 compounds were identified, with the dominant compounds being 1-nonene (53.7%), α-pinene (6%), 1-octene (5.9%), luguloxide (5.5%), and selina-4,11-diene (4.6%). The essential oil shows herbicidal activity against Phalaris canariensis, inhibiting seed germination and seedling growth at all concentrations tested (1-4 µL/mL). It also exhibits antimicrobial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 6.9 and 13.8 µL/mL, respectively. These results suggest that the essential oil of S. anteuphorbium has the potential to be used as a natural herbicidal and antimicrobial agent. This work aims to carry out phytochemical investigations on the herbicide properties of this natural product.