Nematicidal activity of o-hydroxybenzaldehyde from common buckwheat methanol extract on Meloidogyne incognita

The nematicidal activity of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) on the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita was tested. Dried plant methanol extract presented higher nematicidal activity than fresh plant extracts with an EC₅₀ = 62.6 ± 26.0 and 40.8 ± 26.1 μg/ml after 48 and 72 hours of immersion, respectively. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of 17 aldehydes, with salicylaldehyde (o-hydroxybenzaldehyde) being the most abundant at 16%. Nematicidal activity of the latter refers to salicylaldehyde and other aldehydes with chemical similarities was then assessed. The most active aldehyde was o-hydroxybenzaldehyde followed by m-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and benzeneacetaldehyde with an EC₅₀ of about 11.0 ± 1.0, 31.0 ± 22.0, 75.0 ± 23.0 and 168.1 ± 52.3 μg/ml after 1 day of immersion, respectively. Position 2 of the hydroxyl group in the benzene ring seems to be very important for the nematicidal activity, followed by positions 3 and 4. As a complementary experiment, synergistic activity was observed when we added o-hydroxybenzaldehyde to m-hydroxybenzaldehyde and to p-hydroxybenzaldehyde with an EC₅₀ after 24 hours of immersion of 8.0 ± 2.5 and 6.1 ± 2.3 μg/ml, respectively. Antioxidant activity assessment showed that this latter is inversely proportional to nematicidal activity. Our results showed that F. esculentum and its major compound salicylaldehyde could be integrated into the pest management system.

Novel 6-aryl-7-alkyl/aryl-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,3,5]triazine-5(6H)-thiones, processes for their preparation, characterization and evaluation of their in vitro antioxidant activity

ABSTRACT. A series of nine new 6-aryl-7-alkyl/aryl-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,3,5]triazine-5(6H)-thiones (2a-i) were synthesized by a reaction of N-triazol-3-yl imidates (1) with three different isothiocyanate derivatives (RNCS)  in refluxing toluene. The structures of the final heterocyclic compounds were confirmed by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, FT-IR, elemental analysis, and mass spectral analysis. The target compounds (2a-i) were in vitro screened for their activity as antioxidants using DPPH (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric reducing/antioxidant power) methods. The results revealed that some triazolotriazine-5-(6H)thiones exhibited antioxidant activity ranging from moderate to high. The obtained findings revealed that the triazolotriazine-5-(6H)thiones (2g, 2h, and 2i) have superiority among all compounds, It is obvious that the presence of a hydroxyl group in the structure is essential for the antioxidant properties and should be taken into consideration in further design of structures with potential antioxidant properties.                     KEY WORDS: Imidates, Isothiocyanates, Antioxidant, Triazole, DPPH, FRAP   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2021, 35(3), 565-572. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v35i3.8

Change of the litter fall, decomposition, and nutrient release in cork oak forest after anthropogenic disturbances in North West of Tunisia

In Mediterranean forests, anthropogenic disturbances received little interest in regards to their shrub layer induced enlargement. We studied in the cork oak forest of Beni Métir and in undisturbed and disturbed sites, the relative contribution of the tree (L_T, DL_T) and shrub (L_S, DL_S) layers to litter fall, litter decomposition, and nutrients dynamic. Our results showed that disturbance significantly (p < 0.001) reduced (-43%) total litter fall in DS in comparison with S (583 g m^-2 year^-1); the increased (+ 54%) shrub layer contribution to site litter fall did not counterbalance the decreased input by the tree layer. Leaf litter decomposition was negatively affected (p < 0.001) by disturbance, the remaining mass value being after 2 years, approximately 14 and 33%, respectively, for S and DS. This resulted into a gain of above ground soil organic matter 1.3 higher in DS than it was in S whereas the shrub layer contribution to litter fall increased by 50%. The prevailing driver of decomposition was very probably not related to litter quality but rather site-dependent. Indeed, layers of the same site shared the same remaining mass in spite of significant differences (p < 0.05) in initial content of minerals (N, Ca, and Mn) implicated in biological decomposition. In the disturbed site, the nutrient input by the shrub layer increased by more than double, but its low nutrient quality drastically impaired litter decomposition and mineral return at the site level. In conclusion, this study highlighted the importance of shrub layer which must be taken into account when considering any disturbance assessment and management of Mediterranean forests.