Toxicity of aqueous extracts of Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. about Euphorbia heterophylla L.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Toxicity of aqueous extracts of Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. about Euphorbia heterophylla L.
Authors: da Silva TA; Curso de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil.; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil., Bashir I; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil., Giacomin AC; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil., Barth JA; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil., Chiapperin M; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil., de Oliveira FZ; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil., Scheibler CT; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil., Bruxel F; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil., de Freitas EM; Laboratório de Botânica, Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Lajeado, Brazil.
Source: Pest management science [Pest Manag Sci] 2026 Jul; Vol. 82 (7), pp. 6196-6206. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Mar 05.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Published for SCI by Wiley Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100898744 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1526-4998 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1526498X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Pest Manag Sci Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: West Sussex, UK : Published for SCI by Wiley, c2000-
MeSH Terms: Euphorbia*/drug effects , Euphorbia*/growth & development , Ilex paraguariensis*/chemistry , Plant Extracts*/toxicity , Herbicides*/toxicity , Plant Weeds*/drug effects , Plant Weeds*/growth & development, Germination/drug effects
Abstract: Background: The escalating challenge of herbicide-resistant weeds, exemplified by Euphorbia heterophylla L. (wild poinsettia), threatens agricultural sustainability in Brazil. Overreliance on synthetic herbicides has led to environmental degradation and increased production costs, necessitating eco-friendly alternatives.
Results: This study explores the phytotoxic potential of aqueous extracts (decoction and infusion) from Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil. (yerba mate) as a bioherbicide against E. heterophylla. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) identified nine major compounds in aqueous extracts (decoction and infusion), with caffeine and neochlorogenic acid being the most abundant. In vitro assays demonstrated that both decoction and infusion extracts at concentrations 4% and 6% completely inhibited seed germination and seedling formation of E. heterophylla, with lower concentrations (2%) significantly reducing germination speed and increasing mean germination time. Glasshouse experiments revealed mild to moderate leaf damage (scales 2-3) from 4% extracts, without affecting height or true leaf emergence. Field trials indicated temporal stability in development, with extracts promoting slight biomass increases (root/shoot ratio) and modulating antioxidants and pigments (chlorophyll A, cholorphyll B, carotenoids), showing positive correlations with growth traits and less severity than glyphosate.
Conclusion: Aqueous extracts of I. paraguariensis exhibit strong allelopathic potential against E. heterophylla, particularly during germination, offering a biodegradable bioherbicide option for integrated pest management. While less toxic to mature plants, their selectivity and scalability warrant further field optimization to enhance sustainable agriculture, reducing environmental impacts and herbicide resistance. © 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
(© 2026 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)
References: Trezzi MM and Vidal RA, Potencial de utilização de cobertura vegetal de sorgo e milheto na supressão de plantas daninhas em condição de campo: II ‐ Efeitos da cobertura morta. Planta Daninha 22:1–10 (2004).
Trezzi MM, Vidal RA, Kruse ND and Nunes AL, Bioensaios para identificação de biótipos de Euphorbia heterophylla com resistência múltipla a inibidores da ALS e da PROTOX. Planta Daninha 24:563–571 (2006).
Procópio S d O, Barizon RRM, Pazianotto RAA, Morandi MAB and Braz GBP, Impacts of weed resistance to glyphosate on herbicide commercialization in Brazil. Agri 14:2315 (2024).
Perobelli JE, Pesticides and public health: discussing risks in Brazilian agro‐industrial growth. Front Toxicol 7:1–6 (2025).
Barroso GM, Custódio IG, Borges CE, dos Santos EA, Andrade Pinto TA, Soares MA et al., Pesticide residues in Brazil: analysis of environmental legislation and regulation and the challenge of sustainable production. Sustainability 17:2583 (2025).
Ofosu R, Agyemang ED, Márton A, Pásztor G, Taller J and Kazinczi G, Herbicide resistance: managing weeds in a changing world. Agronomy 13:1–16 (2023).
Qureshi H and Anwar T, Role of allelopathy in invasion of invasive species. Allelopath J 62:115–138 (2024).
Sarreal JJS, Yerba Mate: The Drink That Shaped a Nation. University of California Press, Berkeley (2023).
Souza A, Junior CK, Zarpellon FR and da Veiga CP, Sustainable production and consumption: assessing the economic viability of traditional and organic yerba mate cultivation. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11:1616 (2024).
Nunes MT, Coradi PC and da Silva AB, Production, postharvest and processing of the yerba mate: a review on technological advances and quality from raw material to the final product. J Hortic Sci Biotech 100:29–52 (2025).
Bruxel F, Rodrigues KF, Gastmann J, Winhelmann MC, Silva SM, Hoehne L et al., Phytotoxicity of aqueous extract of Ilex paraguariensis A. St.‐Hil on Conyza bonariensis (L). Cronquist. S Afr J Bot 146:546–552 (2022).
Valduga AT, Gonçalves IL, Dartora N, Mielniczki‐Pereira AA and de Souza LM, Phytochemical profile of morphologically selected yerba‐mate progenies. Cienc Agrotecnol 40:114–120 (2016).
Rodrigo TB, Renathielly F d S, Maurício AP, Fernando M, da Lucas S, da Joice RS et al., Influence of Ilex paraguariensis aqueous extract on safflower growth and germination in vitro. Afr J Agric Res 11:4021–4026 (2016).
Roberts J, Florentine S, Fernando WGD and Tennakoon KU, Achievements, developments and future challenges in the field of bioherbicides for weed control: a global review. Plants 11:1–18 (2022).
Embrapa, Plantas daninhas ameaçam até 70% da produção de milho no Brasil (2025). https://globalcropprotection.com/noticias/uso-e-aplicacao/plantas-daninhas-ameacam-ate-70-da-producao-de-milho-no-brasil/?referrer=grok.com [accessed 1 Janu ary 2026].
Novakoski A d S, Coelho ÉMP, Ravagnani GT, da Costa ACPR, Rocha SA, Zucareli V et al., Allelopathic potential of plant aqueous mixtures on Euphorbia heterophylla. Agriculture 10:449 (2020).
Adegas FS, Gazziero DLP, de Oliveira Junior RS, Mendes RR and Rodrigues LJ, Euphorbia heterophylla: um novo caso de resistência ao glifosato no Brasil, Vol. 2020. Embrapa Soja, Londrina (2020).
Adegas FS, Correia NM, da Silva AF, Concenço G, Gazziero DLP and Dalazen G, Glyphosate‐resistant (GR) soybean and corn in Brazil: past, present, and future. Adv Weed Sci 40:1–12 (2022).
Jabran K, Mahajan G, Sardana V and Chauhan BS, Allelopathy for weed control in agricultural systems. Crop Prot 72:57–65 (2015).
Dang XT, Xuan CN, Dang KT, Duc VT and Ngoc MTT, Advancements and challenges in allelopathy: a global perspective on agricultural practices. J Crop Heal 77:151 (2025).
Valiño A, Pardo‐Muras M, Puig CG, López‐Periago JE and Pedrol N, Biomass from allelopathic agroforestry and invasive plant species as soil amendments for weed control—a review. Agronomy 13:2880 (2023).
Dar A, Zahir ZA, Ahmad M, Hussain A, Jaffar MT and Kremer RJ, Bacterial allelopathy: an approach for biological control of weeds. J Appl Microbiol 135:1–19 (2024).
Kumar N, Singh H, Giri K, Kumar A, Joshi A, Yadav S et al., Physiological and molecular insights into the allelopathic effects on agroecosystems under changing environmental conditions. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 30:417–433 (2024).
Ain Q, Mushtaq W, Shadab M and Siddiqui MB, Allelopathy: an alternative tool for sustainable agriculture. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 29:495–511 (2023).
Lopes CVA and de Albuquerque GSC, Agrotóxicos e seus impactos na saúde humana e ambiental: uma revisão sistemática. Saude em Debate 42:518–534 (2018).
Maguire JD, Speed of germination—aid in selection and evaluation for seedling emergence and vigor 1. Crop Sci 2:176–177 (1962).
Wellburn AR, The spectral determination of chlorophylls a and b, as well as total carotenoids, using various solvents with spectrophotometers of different resolution. J Plant Physiol 144:307–313 (1994).
Giannopolitis CN and Ries SK, Superoxide Dismutases. Plant Physiol 59:309–314 (1977).
R Core Team, R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria (2021).
Alemayehu Y, Chimdesa M and Yusuf Z, Allelopathic effects of Lantana camara L. leaf aqueous extracts on germination and seedling growth of Capsicum annuum L. and Daucus carota L. ed. by Prasad P. Scientifica (Cairo) 2024:1–9 (2024).
Rees M and Long MJ, Germination biology and the ecology of annual plants. Am Nat 139:484–508 (1992).
Jefferson LV and Pennacchio M, Allelopathic effects of foliage extracts from four Chenopodiaceae species on seed germination. J Arid Environ 55:275–285 (2003).
de Amarante Junior OP, dos Santos TCR, Brito NM and Ribeiro ML, Glifosato: propriedades, toxicidade, usos e legislação. Quim Nova 25:589–593 (2002).
Ferreira AG and Aquila MEA, Alelopatia: uma área emergente da ecofisiologia. Rev Bras Fisiol Veg 12:175–204 (2000).
Imatomi M, Novaes P, Miranda MAFM and Gualtieri SCJ, Phytotoxic effects of aqueous leaf extracts of four Myrtaceae species on three weeds. Acta Sci Agron 37:241–248 (2015).
Yousuf J, Raina A, Rasik S, Reshi ZA and Shahwar D, Comparative effects of caffeine and lead nitrate on the bio‐physiological and yield associated traits of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.). Heliyon 9:e16351 (2023).
Tamura A, Sasaki M, Yamashita H, Matsui‐Yuasa I, Saku T, Hikima T et al., Yerba‐mate (Ilex paraguariensis) extract prevents ethanol‐induced liver injury in rats. J Funct Foods 5:1714–1723 (2013).
Mesquita M, Chapter 6 ‐ mate tea: manufacture and composition, in Tea in Health and Disease Prevention, 2nd edn, ed. by Preedy VR and Patel V. Academic Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA pp. 53–63 (2025).
Mesquita M, Santos E, Kassuya CA and Salvador MJ, Chimarrão, terere and mate‐tea in legitimate technology modes of preparation and consume: a comparative study of chemical composition, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory and anti‐anxiety properties of the mostly consumed beverages of Ilex paraguariensis St. H. J Ethnopharmacol 279:114401 (2021).
Lovatto PB, Fitoprotetores botânicos: União de saberes e tecnologias para transição agroecológica. Editora Appris, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil (2021).
Gross J, Pigments in Vegetables. Springer US, Boston, MA (1991).
Hatamleh AA, Danish M, Al‐Dosary MA, El‐Zaidy M and Ali S, Physiological and oxidative stress responses of Solanum lycopersicum (L.) (tomato) when exposed to different chemical pesticides. RSC Adv 12:7237–7252 (2022).
Gill SS and Tuteja N, Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant machinery in abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Plant Physiol Biochem 48:909–930 (2010).
Ighodaro OM and Akinloye OA, First line defence antioxidants‐superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX): their fundamental role in the entire antioxidant defence grid. Alexandria J Med 54:287–293 (2018).
Yordanova RY, Christov KN and Popova LP, Antioxidative enzymes in barley plants subjected to soil flooding. Environ Exp Bot 51:93–101 (2004).
Khaliq A, Ibrahim MU, Hussain S, Zia Ul Haq M, Al‐Huqail AA, Nawaz M et al., The Hormetic effects of a brassica water extract triggered wheat growth and antioxidative defense under drought stress. Appl Sci 12:4582 (2022).
Ali Q, Perveen R, Saeed F, Manzoor H, Ali S, Hussain MI et al., Enhancing water stress tolerance of bread wheat during seed germination and seedling emergence: caffeine‐induced modulation of antioxidative defense mechanisms. Front Plant Sci 15:1–22 (2024).
Yoo Y, Yoo Y‐H, Lee DY, Jung K‐H, Lee S‐W and Park J‐C, Caffeine produced in Rice plants provides tolerance to water‐deficit stress. Antioxidants 12:1984 (2023).
Grant Information: Secretaria de Inovação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Sul
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: allelopathy; bioherbicide; decoction; infusion; weed plant; yerba mate
Substance Nomenclature: 0 (Plant Extracts)
0 (Herbicides)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260305 Date Completed: 20260610 Latest Revision: 20260726
Update Code: 20260726
PubMed Central ID: PMC13240690
DOI: 10.1002/ps.70701
PMID: 41784070
Database: MEDLINE
Description
ISSN:1526-4998
DOI:10.1002/ps.70701