METABOLISM OF CHLOROPHENYLALANINES IN CROP AND WEED PLANTS IN RELATION TO THE FORMATION OF POTENTIAL HERBICIDAL END PRODUCTS

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0031-9422(88)80592-2

Metabolism of 12 synthetic D,L-chlorophenylalanines has been examined in several crop and weed plants.Twenty-five gram samples of excised shoots or leaves of bushbean, soybean, corn, pigweed, lambsquarters, and giant foxtail were allowed to metabolize 10^-4 M solutions of the D,L-chlorophenylalanines for 24 hr in continuous light.The plant samples were then extracted in 80percent methanol and the soluble acidic metabolites fractionated into ether.Each ether concentrate was partially purified by fractional elution from a PrepSep C18 coloumn and then analysed by HPLC.Collected fractions were esterified with pentafluorobenzylbromide and examined by GC-MS to demonstrate the presence of PFB-esters of chlorophenylacetic, chlorobenzoic and/or chlorocinnamic acids.Since certain of these metabolites are known to be potent plant growth-regulators and herbicides, the results are discussed in relation to the potantial herbicidal action of certain chlorophenylalanines by the mechanism of 'lethal synthesis'.Key Word Index - Phaseolus vulgaris; Glycine max.; Leguminosae; Zea mays; Amaranthus retroflexus; Chenopodium album; Setaria faberii; metabolism; D,L-chlorophenylalanines; chlorophenylacetic acids; chlorobenzoic acids; chlorocinnamic acids; growth regulators.