The need for plants to defend themselves, communicate, and somehow contribute to the social life in their ecosystems has triggered the evolution of an astonishing number of diverse chemicals, some of which involved in plant–plant interactions. In the present study, specific aspects of allelopathy are investigated. A combination of bioassays and metabolomics was used in order to study the chemical interactions occurring between three donor species of Mediterranean area (Arbutus unedo, Medicago minima, Myrtus communis) and a receiving species (Aegilops geniculata). The biochemical changes occurring in the receiving plant upon the treatments with the donor extracts were studied. Oxidative stress and altered water balance were found to be the major changes in the receiving plant. Putative allelochemicals synthesized by the donor plants were also identified and it was shown that their activity was enhanced by co-occurring metabolites. This study provides evidence that metabolite mixtures are to be taken into consideration for allelopathic activity. Furthermore, not only it reports the chemicals responsible for the activity in the specific system, but it also shows that the response of the receiving plant to the treatment with extracts from donor plants is comparable to the response to other stresses.

植物对自我保护，交流以及以某种方式有助于其生态系统的社会生活的需求，引发了数量惊人的多种化学物质的进化，其中一些化学物质参与了植物与植物之间的相互作用。在本研究中，研究了化感作用的具体方面。为了研究地中海地区三种供体物种之间发生的化学相互作用，使用了生物测定和代谢组学相结合的方法（杨梅， 紫花苜蓿， 桃金娘）和接收物种（破草伊蚊）。研究了用供体提取物处理后在接收植物中发生的生化变化。发现氧化胁迫和改变的水平衡是接收植物的主要变化。还鉴定了由供体植物合成的推定的化感物质，并且表明它们的活性被共生代谢产物增强。这项研究提供了证据，化感作用应考虑到代谢物混合物。此外，它不仅报告了负责特定系统中活性的化学物质，而且还表明接受植物对供体植物提取物处理的反应与对其他胁迫的反应相当。