New Findings from the Volatiles of the Corsican Liverwort Porella arboris-vitae: An Evaluation of Their Allelopathic Effect

The volatile metabolites of the Corsican liverwort Porella arboris-vitae and their allelopathic implication were studied for the first time. Volatile compounds of the essential oil, hydrosol, and ether extract were investigated using gas chromatography (GC), GC-mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Drimane and pinguisane derivatives were dominant in the plant. The study highlights an analytical strategy involving metabolite enrichment by column chromatography and comprehensive analytical experiments to identify compounds with incomplete spectral data from the literature. Among them, the drime-7-en-11-acid methyl ester hitherto described as a synthetic intermediate was described here for the first time in its natural state and a sesquiterpene alcohol was newly discovered. The allelopathic effect of P. arboris-vitae volatile metabolites was evaluated on two monocotyledonous species, rice and leek, and two dicotyledonous species, radish and watercress. Essential oils, hydrosols, and ether extracts inhibited the germination and seedling growth, highlighting the potential of bryophyte for developing novel herbicides.