Author(s): JAI KNOX AND M.S. PAUL

Abstract: Parthenium hysterophorus L. is one of the worst weed for agriculture, the environment and human health. Parthenium is also known as ‘Congress grass’ and ‘Gajar ghas’ in India. It is a herbaceous, erect and annual plant belonging to family Asteraceae (Compositae). Parthenium was accidentally introduced in India through imported food grains in mid 1950’s (Dhawan and Dhawan, 1996). After noticeable occurrence of Parthenium in Pune (Maharashtra) it had spreads like ‘wild fire’ throughout India. Many methods ranging from manual uprooting, chemical herbicides to biological control agents have been proposed to limit the spread of this uncontrollable weed. Parthenium hysterophorus contain toxins from the chemical group of sesquiterpene lactone (C15 group) (Oudhia and Tripathi, 1998). The major component of toxin being parthenin and other phenolic acids such as caffeic, vanillic, ferulic, chlorgenic, p-hydrobenzoic acid, pcumaric acid and anisic acid are lethal to human beings and animals (Mahadevappa, 1998). Parthenium contains 35 lactones of the pseudoguaicinolide and xanthanolide skeletal types. Parthenin a major constituent is a sesquiterpenoid having a pseudoguaianolide structure. It contains an α-methylene γ-butyrolactone moiety (ring C) along with other functionalities and five chiral centers (Ramesh et al., 2004)..

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