Allelochemicals Biologica... - Name

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HIROYUKI NISHIMURA AND ATSUSHI SATOH
The nematicidal activities of extracts from different parts of a chicory root were
examined. The relative survival ratios (R. S. R.) at the root skin, inner root tissue,
wounded root tissue and hairy roots were measured (Figure 3). The extract from the
root skin exhibited the highest nematicidal activity. Interestingly, the nematicidal
activity of an acidic fraction from rhizoplane soil was much higher than that from
bulk field soil. We found that some phenolics from the root also exhibited nematicidal
activity. Thus, it seems that secondary metabolites such as terpenoids and phenolics
can play an important role in chicory defense.
3. UTILIZATION OF ALLELOCHEMICALS IN PROCESSED FOODS
Traditional Japanese foods - noodles, a boiled fish paste, and cocoa- and coffee cakes
- were cooked without chicory dry powder. After five days, food spoilage fungi such
as Mucor and Rhizopus species were observed growing on the test foods. Interestingly,
when 0.1 – 5% (w/w) of the dried chicory powder was added to the processed
foods, no fungi were observed even after ten days storage. It seems that antimicrobial
sesquiterpenoids in chicory root can inhibit the growth of spoilage fungi.
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