Exploring the bio-control efficacy of Artemisia fragrans essential oil on the perennial weed Convolvulus arvensis: inhibitory effects on the photosynthetic machinery and induction of oxidative stress

Convolvulus arvensisL. (Convolvulaceae), also known as‘field bindweed’, is a cosmopolitan weed causing im-portant loss in crop productivity and yield worldwide. Many efforts have been made to control this weed usingchemical herbicides. Thus, its eradication represents an important challenge from an economic perspective. Inthis respect, plant essential oils have been recently exploited as bio-herbicides due to their documented alle-lopathic effects. The present study was aimed to examine the possible application of the essential oil ofArtemisiafragransWilld. (Asteraceae) as a bio-herbicide to controlfield bindweed. Two distinct Petri dish and pot-basedexperiments were carried out to assess the phytotoxicity ofA. fragransessential oil. The main essential oilcomponents detected by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-massspectrometry (GC-MS) wereα-thujone (30.4 %), camphor (26.4 %), 1,8-cineole (12.6 %) andβ-thujone (10.0%). The growth and content of photosynthetic pigments infield bindweed were reduced as a function of theincreasing concentrations of the essential oil in both Petri and pot experiments. Furthermore, the chlorophyllafluorescence as a key parameter was negatively affected when the essential oil treatment was applied. Also,exposure to essential oil altered the activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX)and superoxide dismutase (SOD), enhanced the level of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) andcaused cellular electrolyte leakage. In conclusion, the essential oil ofA. fragranshas noteworthy potential as agrowth and photosynthesis disruptor as well as an oxidative stress inducer againstfield bindweed. Thus, thisplant species may be suggested as a source of bio-herbicides on an industrial le