Jiang Luhua

Allelochemicals Extracted from Eleocharis dulcis and their Inhibitory Effects on Microcystis aeruginosa

Allelochemicals are considered to be effective substances for controlling the outbreak of harmful cyanobacteria. In this study, Eleocharis dulcis peel fractions with an inhibitory effect on Microcystis aeruginosa were isolated by extraction and purification. The extracted organic compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the allelopathic effect and mechanism underlying the inhibition of M. aeruginosawere explored. The results demonstrated that the exogenous compound, eriodictyol, corresponding to one of the detected flavonoids (C15H12O6) could inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa, indicating that the flavonoid C15H12O6 is one of the allelochemicals contained in E. dulcis. Levels of chlorophyll a (Chl-a), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduced glutathione (GSH) of cell health in M. aeruginosa were analysed. Our results show that the damage to the antioxidant enzymes of algal cells caused by eriodictyol could be a main contributing factor to the decrease in the number of algal cells and even cell death.