Screening Of Allelopathy And Allelochemicals From Plants In Order To Reduce Cancer Risk

Allelopathy is a phenomenon whereby a plant influences their neighboring plants, insects,microorganism, and animals by natural chemicals called allelochemicals. We have developedspecific bioassays for allelopathy, namely: Plant Box Method ; Sandwich Method ; and DishpackMethod . Using these methods, we have evaluated more than 4,000 plant species in the world.Our major targets are 1) to isolate innovative bioactive natural chemicals from allelochemicals,including novel medicinal chemicals, and 2) to use allelopathic ground cover plants in agricultureand environment. I will briefly summarize the results of screening of 4,000 plants in the worldincluding 1,500 medicinal plants. Ground cover plants with allelopathic activity could be a naturalresource for weed control, supplemental food, medicinal use, or creation of landscape with flowers,leaves or fragrant perfume. Allelopathic cover plants are realized as natural and environmentallyfriendly way of managing weeds without herbicides. Useful allelopathic plants and their respectiveallelochemicals include: 1) velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens), L-DOPA; 2) hairy vetch (Vicia villosa),cyanamide; and 3) buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), rutin. These crops are useful resources forfood and other practical purposes. Potential allelopathic plants with potent allelochemicals are: 4)Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides), tryptophan and other compounds; 5) Ouren (Coptisjaponica), berberine; 6) dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus), salicylic acid; 7) hyacinthorchid (Bletilla striata), militarine; 8) red spider lily (Lycoris radiate), lycorine; and 9) Thunbergspiraea (Spiraea thunbergii), cis-cinnamic acid and BCG. I will also explain practical and potentialuse of these plants for environmentally friendly way of agriculture to produce safe foods and reducethe risk for cancer.