Abstract:
Argemone ochroleuca Sweet is an alien invasive weed dominating most cultivated lands,
however, the phytochemicals present in this plant and the effects of these on the germination and
growth of economically important crops such as maize are not well-documented. The objective of the
study was to characterize the phytochemistry of the shoots and roots of A. ochroleuca and determine
whether the extracts could inhibit the germination of maize seeds. The shoots and roots of A. ochroleuca
were extracted in water, hexane, and acetone. Ten maize seeds were used in the germination bioassay.
A phytochemical analysis was conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
The effects of the A. ochroleuca water, hexane, or acetone extracts on maize seed germination were
concentration and plant-part dependent. The highest reduction was recorded from the water extract
with 82%. Identified compounds with high percentages in A. ochroleuca were 9,12-octadecadienoic
acid (Z,Z) and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, (Z,Z,Z)-. The present study indicated that A. ochroleuca
extracts suppress the germination of maize seeds, likely due to the presence of both the identified
and potentially unidentified phytochemicals that were not detected by the selected method. There
is, however, a need to establish the relationship between the phytochemical compounds and the
enzymes responsible for germination.
