Influence of new effective allelochemicals on the distribution of Cleome arabica L. community in nature

New allelochemicals were identified through bio-guided fractionation from the ethyl acetate of seeds extracts, which was the most autotoxic compared to the other plant parts. Phytochemical investigation of the seeds extracts of C. arabica by spectroscopy analyses has led to identify two new dammarane type triterpenes (4 and 9), with nine known analogues (1 - 3, 5 - 8, 10 and 11), a new cucurbitane triterpene (12), acylated dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol (13), and three highly oxygenated flavonols (14-16). The most autotoxic compounds on germination and seedling growth were elucidated as dammarane type triterpenes. However, less autotoxic effect was recorded by an inhibition under 50% for most of the identified flavonoids. These results suggest that those autotoxic substances may be used as a new bio-herbicide that may contribute to manage the distribution of C. arabica in agronomic field.