Bioactive compounds isolated from Petroselinum crispum L. leaves using bioguided fractionation

• Aqueous and organic extract of parsley leaves were used to study their phytotoxicity.
• The methanol extract was the most toxic.
• The bioactive sub-fractions were chromatographed and purified compounds were characterized by NMR analysis.
• Tested on lettuce germination and growth.

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the phytochemical composition and phytotoxicity of Petroselinum crispum L. The phytotoxicity of the aqueous and organic (methanol, petroleum ether and chloroform) extracts of the leaves was determined. The methanol extract induced complete inhibition of lettuce germination and shoots growth and 97% inhibition of root growth. Thus, the methanolic residue was partitioned between dichloromethane and water. The bioactive dichloromethane subfractions were chromatographed and the purified compounds were characterized by NMR analysis. Based on bioassay-guided fractionation, four compounds were isolated and identified as pabulenol, oxypeucedanin, oxypeucedanin hydrate and N-(2′-phenylethyl) hexanamide then, tested on lettuce germination and growth. The most inhibitory compound was N-(2′-phenylethyl) hexanamide followed by oxypeucedanin hydrate, pabulenol and oxypeucedanin.

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