Fabrizio Araniti

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• Professor
• Professor (Associate) at University of Milan

In this study, the effects of the allelochemical coumarin through a metabolomic, proteomic and morpho-physiological approach in Arabidopsis adult plants (25 days old) were investigated. Metabolomic analysis evidenced an increment of amino acids and a high accumulation of soluble sugars, after 6 days of coumarin treatment. This effect was accompanie...

Root exudates, compounds secreted by plant roots, play a crucial role in plant-soil interactions and have significant agricultural implications. These substances influence nutrient availability, plant growth, and the surrounding rhizosphere. This review examines the composition, mechanisms, and importance of root exudates, categorizing them as diff...

Pot size is a critical factor in plant growth experiments, influencing root architecture, nutrient uptake, and overall plant development as well as sensing of stress. In controlled environments, variation in pot size can impact phenotypic and molecular outcomes and may bias experimental results. Here, we investigated how pot size affects the root s...

A previous ethnobotanical investigation conducted in Valle Imagna (Northern Italy) highlighted the traditional use of Agrimonia eupatoria L. (Rosaceae) as a disinfectant and wound-healing agent. This use seemed to be linked to a local 18th century manuscript. This species was chosen for a multidisciplinary investigation to validate or refute its tr...

This pilot study investigates the chemical profiling and antioxidant potential of six blueberry genotypes: three tetraploids from the highbush blueberry species and three hexaploids from the rabbiteye blueberry species. The goal was to characterise the biochemical composition of these genotypes, grown under identical pedoclimatic conditions, and to...

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors of various pathogens of public health concern and replacing conventional insecticides remains a challenge. In this regard, natural products represent valuable sources of potential insecticidal compounds, thus increasingly attracting research interest. Commiphora myrrha (T.Nees) Engl. (Burseraceae) is a me...

This study explores the allelopathic effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the invasive species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle on the seed germination of Bidens pilosa. A. altissima is known for releasing allelo-pathic VOCs that suppress the growth of neighbouring plants, contributing to its invasive potential. Methods: To ex...

Climate change threatens biodiversity as populations can persist if they migrate or adapt to the rapidly changing conditions of the Anthropocene. However, the metabolic mechanisms underlying plant population persistence under the long‐term trends of increasing temperature and drought remain unclear. Here, we investigate the persistence and adaptati...

The impact of combined heat and drought stress was investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana and compared to individual stresses to reveal additive effects and interactions. A combination of plant metabolomics and root and rhizosphere bacterial metabarcoding were used to unravel effects at the plant holobiont level. Hierarchical cluster analysis of meta...

Among the current global challenges, the research of new practices aimed at mitigating soil impoverishment, exacerbated by the pressing climate changes, is the most urgent. Studying soil organic matter (SOM) ecological dynamics and comparing the conventional intensive farming practices with the emerging alternative sustainable ones can represent a...

The Effect of Thermal Processes on the Organoleptic and Nutraceutical Quality of Tomato Fruit (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Foods 2024, 13, 3678. Abstract: The present study investigated the changes in the organoleptic characteristics, nutraceuti-cals, and antioxidant activity of tomato fruits subjected to different thermal processes: tomato sauce (80...

Drought, a significant environmental challenge, presents a substantial risk to worldwide agriculture and the security of food supplies. In response, plants can perceive stimuli from their environment and activate defense pathways via various modulating networks to cope with stress. Drought tolerance, a multifaceted attribute, can be dissected into...

The present study demonstrates that low concentrations of azelaic acid (AZA) significantly impact the metabolism of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, leading to imbalances in numerous minerals and metabolites due to AZA‐induced stress. Untargeted metabolomic analyses were conducted on untreated and AZA‐treated seedlings at two time points: 7 and 14 d...

Bottlenecks, including limited genetic variation and the ongoing loss of genetic diversity, have hindered the development of modern wheat cultivars., making it crucial to use genetic diversity from wild relatives to improve wheat's adaptation to abiotic stress, such as salinity. This study assessed the phenotypic and epigenetic variation of introgr...

The study aims to explore the natural variation in the metabolome of different populations of the invasive plant Carpobrotus from different genetic clusters and geographical origins to enhance our comprehension of its involvement in the adaptation process and phenotypic diversity. The metabolomic profile of shoots was analysed in four populations f...

El proyecto europeo AGROSUS identificará herramientas y estrategias agroecológicas para prevenir y manejar la aparición de malas hierbas en los cultivos económicamente más relevantes de las once regiones biogeográficas de Europa (Continental-Mediterránea-Atlántica-Macaronésica-Panónica-Anatolia-Ártica-Mar Negro-Boreal-Alpina-Estépica), al tiempo qu...

Environmental stress significantly affects plant growth, development, and survival. Plants respond to stressors such as temperature fluctuations, water scarcity, nutrient deficiencies, and pathogen attacks through intricate molecular and physiological adaptations. Epigenetic mechanisms are crucial in regulating gene expression in response to enviro...

Conventional agriculture relies on non-renewable rock phosphate as a source of phosphorus. The demand for food has led to increased phosphorus inputs, with a negative impact on freshwater biodiversity and food security. The importation of phosphorus fertilizers makes most food systems vulnerable to phosphorus supply risks. The geopolitical instabil...

The present study investigates the phytotoxic potential of the azelaic acid (AZA) on Arabidopsis thaliana roots. Effects on root morphology, anatomy, auxin content and transport, gravitropic response and molecular docking, were analysed. AZA inhibited root growth, stimulated lateral and adventitious roots, and altered the root apical meristem by re...

Studying the impact of mild drought stress on plant productivity and product quality is essential in the context of climate change and dwindling water resources. Moreover, understanding how mild drought stress affects plants is crucial for sustainable agriculture, since it can potentially lead to the development of more efficient irrigation techniq...

In gymnosperms such as Ginkgo biloba, the pollen's arrival plays a key role in ovule development, before fertilization occurs. Accordingly, G. biloba female plants geographically isolated from male plants aborted all their ovules after the pollination drop emission, which is the event that allows the ovule to capture pollen grains. To decipher the...

In gymnosperms such as Ginkgo biloba, the pollen's arrival plays a key role in ovule development, before fertilization occurs. Accordingly, G. biloba female plants geographically isolated from male plants aborted all their ovules after the pollination drop emission, which is the event that allows the ovule to capture pollen grains. To decipher the...

Synthetic herbicides have been the most widely used tool for weed control since their discovery and development in the mid-20th century. However, their continued use has led to the emergence of resistant weed biotypes, reducing their efficacy. They also provoked environmental problems, affecting non-target species, and causing crop stress. It is th...

Due to its allelopathic capability, the investigation of essential oils (EO) as sustainable alternatives for weed control has gained considerable interest in the last years. In this study, we investigated the phytotoxic capacity of the essential oil extracted from Carlina acaulis L. (Apiaceae) on the weed Bidens pilosa L. This essential oil, mainly...

Invasive species pose a challenge for the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable management of natural resources, especially in the context of climate change. One of the most dangerous examples is the genus Carpobrotus sp.pl., juicy plants native to South Africa. These species have demonstrated an astonishing ability to propagate and accl...

Citral is a secondary metabolite found in the composition of many essential oils from plants, such as the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf, in which it is the major constituent. Citral has been demonstrated to possess several biological activities, among them herbicidal activity, so it has a high potential for the development of nat...

Pelargonic acid (PA) is a saturated fatty acid that can be found in various plant organisms and has multiple uses, including herbicidal capacity. Despite being one of the first molecules of natural origin with recognised bioherbicidal activity, its mode of action on plant metabolism is not known. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the eff...

The flavonoid trans-chalcone (chalcone, 1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one) is a strong candidate for development of new strategies for weed control (bioherbicides). Previous studies have demonstrated its high phytotoxic capacity on Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings, inducing programmed cell death in roots after 14 days of growth in agar media supplemented w...

The ability of plants to release chemicals that affect the growth of other plants offers potential benefits for weed management and sustainable agriculture. This review explores the use of Camelina sativa as a promising cover crop with weed control potential. Camelina sativa, known for its high oil content and adaptability to diverse climatic condi...

Introduction The use of substances to increase productivity and resource use efficiency is now essential to face the challenge of feeding the rising global population with the less environmental impact on the ecosystems. Trichoderma-based products have been used as biopesticides, to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms, and as biostimulants for crop g...

Essential oils (EOs) are widely studied as possible candidates for new eco-friendly herbicides for weed management due to their phytotoxicity. In this study we tested the phytotoxic potential of the EO obtained from the roots of Carlina acaulis L. (Apiaceae) against the weed Bidens pilosa L. This EO, containing 98% of the poly-acetylene carlina oxi...

Cadmium (Cd), one of the most widespread and water-soluble polluting heavy metals, has been widely studied on plants, even if the mechanisms underlying its phytotoxicity remain elusive. Indeed, most experiments are performed using extensive exposure time to the toxicants, not observing the primary targets affected. The present work studied Cd effec...

High-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity is associated with an elevated risk of insulin resistance (IR), which may precede the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus and associated metabolic complications. Being a heterogeneous metabolic condition, it is pertinent to understand the metabolites and metabolic pathways that are altered during the development an...

Introduction Trans-cinnamaldehyde is a specialised metabolite that naturally occurs in plants of the Lauraceae family. This study focused on the phytotoxic effects of this compound on the morphology and metabolism of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Material and methods To evaluate the phytotoxicity of trans-cinnamaldehyde, a dose-response curve wa...

Finding herbicides with new and multiple modes of action is a solution to stop the increase in resistant weed species. Harmaline, a natural alkaloid with proven phytotoxic potential, was tested on Arabidopsis adult plants by watering and spraying; watering resulted as the more effective treatment. Harmaline altered several photosynthetic parameters...

1:1:1) LED light supplementation on production, nutraceutical quality and Botrytis cinerea control of harvested strawberry fruit. Yield, fruit color, firmness, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, primary and specialized metabolites, expression of targeted genes and mold development were analyzed in fruit from light-supplemented plants, start...

In recent years, natural compounds have gained attention in many fields due to theirwide-range biological activity. In particular, essential oils and their associated hydrosols are beingscreened to control plant pests, exerting antiviral, antimycotic and antiparasitic actions. They are morequickly and cheaply produced and are generally considered s...

The sesquiterpene farnesene and the monoterpene citral are phytotoxic natural compounds characterized by a high similarity in macroscopic effects, suggesting an equal or similar mechanism of action when assayed at IC50 concentration. In the present study, a short-time experiment (24 and 48 h) using an imaging spectrofluorometer allowed us to monito...

In recent years, a renewed interest in novel crops has been developing due to the environmental issues associated with the sustainability of agricultural practices. In particular, a cover crop, Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, belonging to the Brassicaceae family, is attracting the scientific community's interest for several desirable features. It is r...

Citation: López-González, D.; Bruno, L.; Díaz-Tielas, C.; Lupini, A.; Aci, M.M.; Talarico, E.; Madeo, M.L.; Muto, A.; Sánchez-Moreiras, A.M.; Araniti, F. Short-Term Effects of Trans-Cinnamic Acid on the Metabolism of Zea mays L. Roots. Plants 2023, 12, 189. https://doi. Abstract: trans-Cinnamic acid is a phenolic compound widely studied in plant me...

Phytic acid (PA) is a strong anti-nutritional factor with a key antioxidant role in countering reactive oxygen species. Despite the potential benefits of low phytic acid (lpa) mutants, the reduction of PA causes pleiotropic effects, e.g., reduced seed germination and viability loss related to seed ageing. The current study evaluated a historical se...

Main conclusions C. campestris parasitisation increases internal host defences at the expense of environmentally directed ones in the host species A. campestris, thus limiting plant defence against progressive parasitisation. Abstract Cuscuta campestris Yunck is a holoparasitic species that parasitises wild species and crops. Among their hosts, Ar...

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is considered a major sleep-related breathing problem with an increasing prevalence rate. Retrospective studies have revealed the risk of various comorbidities associated with increased severity of OSA. This study aims to identify novel metabolic biomarkers associated with severe OSA. Methods: In total, 50 c...

Pelargonic acid (PA) is the only natural herbicide authorized for professional use in Spain. Incorporating PA into an integrated weed management strategy in vineyards may enable a more sustainable production method for grapes. In this work, PA of 55% concentration, formulated by a commercial company (PSEI), was evaluated and applied at 8, 10, 12, a...

Over the past decades, a growing interest in allelopathy has been recorded due to the effective use of allelochemicals as growth regulators, bioherbicides, insecticides, and antimicrobial crop protection in the sustainable agriculture field. So far, the genetic aspects of the allelopathic effects have been poorly studied, and the identification of...

Allelopathic activity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has previously been associated with the production of phenolic acids and flavonoids (PAF), benzoxazinones (BXZs) and phenoxazinones (PXZs). The biosynthesis of BXZs is closely regulated during cereal growth, with accumulation highest in young tissues with variation associated with genotype and e...

There is an urgent need to develop new compensatory and human-safe methods for controlling invasive Heracleum species. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of H. sosnowskyi control under microwave radiation and biochemical changes in tissues and sap after irradiation. In field experiments in southern Poland, the plants were cut and ir...

The presence of different forms of heavy metals in the earth crust is very primitive and probably associated with the origin of plant life. However, since the beginning of human civilisation, heavy metal use and its contamination to all living systems on earth have significantly increased due to human anthropogenic activities. Heavy metals are non-...

In the present study, the mode of action of coumarin using the germination process as a target was investigated. A dose-response curve, built using a range of concentrations from 0 to 800 µM, allowed us to identify a key concentration (400 µM) inhibiting the germination process, reducing its speed without compromising seed development. Successively...

Harmaline is an indole alkaloid with demonstrated phytotoxicity and recognized pharmacological applications. However, no information is available concerning its mode of action on plant metabolism. Therefore, the present work evaluated bioherbicide mode of action of harmaline on plant metabolism of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Harmaline induced...

Nitrogen (N) fertilization is one of the main inputs to increase crop yield and food production. However, crops utilize only 30–40% of N applied; the remainder is leached into the soil, causing environmental and health damage. In this scenario, the improvement of nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) will be an essential strategy for sustainable agricultur...

In order to assist sustainable agriculture, new strategies and methods are being used based on the utilization of new natural molecules. These natural compounds can be used as potential natural crop protectors and growth promoters, and the elucidation of their modes/mechanisms of action can represent a big step towards cleaner agriculture free of a...

Generally, in gymnosperms, pollination and fertilization events are temporally separated and the developmental processes leading the switch from ovule integument into seed coat are still unknown. The single ovule integument of Ginkgo biloba acquires the typical characteristics of the seed coat long before the fertilization event. In this study, we...

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most widespread polluting heavy metals in both terrestrial and aquatic environments and represents an extremely significant pollutant causing severe environmental and social problems due to its high toxicity and large solubility in water. In plants, the root is the first organ that get in contact with Cd. It is absorbed b...

To date, synthetic herbicides are the main tools used for weed control, with consequent damage to both the environment and human health. In this respect, searching for new natural molecules and understanding their mode of action could represent an alternative strategy or support to traditional management methods for sustainable agriculture. Protodi...

Citation: Araniti, F.; Landi, M.; Laudicina, V.A.; Abenavoli, M.R. Secondary Metabolites and Eco-Friendly Techniques for Agricultural Weed/Pest Management.

Coumarin is a phytotoxic natural compound able to affect plant growth and development. Previous studies have demonstrated that this molecule at low concentrations (100 µM) can reduce primary root growth and stimulate lateral root formation, suggesting an auxin-like activity. In the present study, we evaluated coumarin’s effects (used at lateral roo...

Urochloa ruziziensis, a cover plant used in no-till systems, can suppress weeds in the field through their chemical compounds, but the mode of action of these compounds is still unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a saponin-rich butanolic extract from U. ruziziensis straw (BfUr) and one of its components, pro-todioscin on...

Background: Plant viral infections induce changes in the host plant, which can potentially impact composition, organoleptic properties, and storability characteristics of plant products. In particular, onion odor and flavor are determined mainly by volatile organic compounds, and changes upon infection with onion yellow dwarf virus may deeply influ...

Girdling is a widespread agronomic technique to increase the fruit quality characteristics (e.g. size, solid soluble content [SSC] and colour). However, the information on the fruit metabolic changes related to this practice still remains unclear and fragmentary. Moreover, girdling duration and application time may greatly affect the plant/fruit me...

Salvia ceratophylloides (Ard.) is an endemic and rare plant species recently rediscovered as very few individuals at two different Southern Italy sites. The study of within-plant variation is fundamental to understand the plant adaptation to the local conditions, especially in rare species, and consequently to preserve plant biodiversity. Here, we...

Aims The conventional management adopted in many Mediterranean olive orchards makes them more vulnerable to climate change and attacks by pathogens, due to the decreased chemical plant defenses. In this scenario, a metabolomic analysis was carried out on the xylem sap (Xsap) of olive plants (Olea europaea L.) grown in the Salento peninsula (Italy)....

Imaging of chlorophyll a fluorescence (CFI) represents an easy, precise, fast and non-invasive technique that can be successfully used for discriminating plant response to phytotoxic stress with reproducible results and without damaging the plants. The spatio-temporal analyses of the fluorescence images can give information about damage evolution,...

Weeds are one of the major constraints in crop production affecting both yield and quality. The excessive and exclusive use of synthetic herbicides for their management is increasing the development of herbicide-resistant weeds and is provoking risks for the environment and human health. Therefore, the development of new herbicides with multitarget...

Terpenoids make up the biggest and most diversified class of chemical substances discovered in plants, encompassing over 40,000 individual compounds. In conifers, the production of terpenoids, either as oleoresin or emitted as volatile compounds, play an important role in the physical and chemical defence responses against pathogens and herbivores....

Natural herbicides that are based on allelopathy of compounds, can offer effective alternatives to chemical herbicides towards sustainable agricultural practices. Nerolidol, a sesquiterpenoid alcohol synthesized by many plant families, was shown to be the most effective allelopathic compound in a preliminary screening performed with several other s...

Essential oils (EOs), extracted from aromatic plants, have been proposed as candidates to develop natural herbicides. This study aimed to evaluate the herbicidal potential of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., Mentha × piperita L. and Santolina chamaecyparissus L. essential oils (EOs) on Avena fatua L., Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv, Portulaca oler...

Digestates, a byproduct of the anaerobic bioconversion of organic wastes for the production of biogas, are highly variable in chemical and biological properties, thus limiting their potential use in agriculture as soil amendment. Using a lab-scale glass reactor, we aimed to assess the feasibility to chemically stabilize the solid fraction of an ana...

The plant-Trichoderma-pathogen triangle is a complicated web of numerous processes. Trichoderma spp. are avirulent opportunistic plant symbionts. In addition to being successful plant symbiotic organisms, Trichoderma spp. also behave as a low cost, effective and ecofriendly biocontrol agent. They can set themselves up in various patho-systems, have...

The present experiment used untargeted metabolomics to investigate the short-term metabolic changes induced in wheat seedlings by the specialized metabolite umbelliferone, an allelochemical. We used 10 day-old wheat seedlings treated with 104 µM umbelliferone over a time course experiment covering 6 time points (0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 96 h...

Thymol is a natural phenolic monoterpene widely produced by different species belonging to the Labiateae family. Although the thymol phytotoxicity is well known, the knowledge of its potential toxic mechanism is still limited. In this regard, the model species Arabidopsis thaliana was treated for 16 days by sub-irrigation with 300 μM of thymol. The...

Cynara cardunculus subsp. cardunculus, belonging to Asteraceae family, and widely distributed in the Mediterranean area, exhibits high nutraceutical and nutritional potential, as compared to the cultivated varieties. This work reports, for the first time, on genetic and metabolic characteristics of three natural populations of C. cardunculus presen...

Norharmane is an indole alkaloid that can be found in several terrestrial plants, as well as in some dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. The aim of this study was to focus on the way this metabolite impacts the plant metabolism of the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. This metabolite caused increase of secondary and adventitious roots, as well as...

Key words: Terpenoid, Pine processionary moth, Plant specialized metabolism, Plant defense

Salicylic acid (SA) is a very simple phenolic compound (a C7H6O3 compound composed of an aromatic ring, one carboxylic and a hydroxyl group) and this simplicity contrasts with its high versatility and the involvement of SA in several plant processes either in optimal conditions or in plants facing environmental cues, including heavy metal (HM) stre...

Main conclusion Salinity alters VOC profile in emitter sweet basil plants. Airborne signals by emitter plants promote earlier flowering of receivers and increase their reproductive success under salinity. Abstract Airborne signals can prime neighboring plants against pathogen and/or herbivore attacks, whilst little is known about the possibility t...

Boron (B) excess frequently impair plant performances and their productivity; in particular in arid and semi-arid environments. In the present experiment; hydroponically-grown ‘Granny Smith’ apple plants grafted on M9 rootstock were treated with optimal (25 μΜ) or excess (400 μΜ) B for 116 days to evaluate allometric responses of plants to B toxici...