Romanian Biotechnological Letters Vol. 18, No.2, 2013 Copyright © 2013 University of Bucharest Printed in Romania. All rights reserved ORIGINAL PAPER 8190 Romanian Biotechnological Letters, Vol. 18, No. 2, 2013 Allelopathic effect of Festuca rubra on perennial grasses Received for publication, September 20, 2012 Accepted, March 20, 2013 CRISTIAN BOSTAN A , MONICA BUTNARIU B , MARIAN BUTU C , ALINA ORTAN D , ALINA BUTU C , STELIANA RODINO C,D,1 , CRISTINA PARVU E , a Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine from Timisoara, Calea Aradului, no. 119, Timisoara, 300645, Romania b Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine from Timisoara, Calea Aradului, no. 119, Timisoara, 300645, Romania c National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Splaiul Independentei 296, 0630031, Bucharest, Romania d University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Mărăşti Blvd. 59, 011464, Bucharest, Romania e University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", str Traian Vuia 6, 0010202, Bucharest, Romania 1 Corresponding author e-mail address: steliana.rodino@yahoo.com Abstract The allelopathy research can contribute to protecting the biodiversity and may develop new strategies for sustainable ecosystems controlled by allelochemicals. The present investigations have estimated the allelopahtic features at Festuca rubra and the ability of the allelopathic compounds to affect the germination and the quality of perennial grasses (Dactyilis glomerata, Lolium perenne and Poa pratensis). These perennial grasses were treated with alcolic extracts obtained from dry aerial parts of Festuca Rubra. Were quantified and also physico–chemical characterized the polyphenolic compounds and the alkaloids from the chemical structure of plants. The extracted compounds from the dry aerialparts of F. Rubra were quantified using HPLC method. In the aqueous extracts were quantified the following alkaloids: N–formyl–loline (NFL), N–acetyl–loline (NAL) and ergovaline (EGV). The results of the research have showed that the effect of the alkaloids lead to modifications in the quality index by reducing of the crude protein content and thus lead to lower feed value of these plants. Key words: lolinic alkaloids, chemical composition, quality, Festuca rubra Introduction Due to the advances in physiology and vegetal biochemistry research, in the field of plant research it is becoming more and more feasible the possibility to explain the mechanism of association of plants in a phytocoenosis (the allelopathy phenomenon). [Weckwerth et al., 2011; Jovanović Onć et al., 2010]. The importance of allelopathy resides in a series of bioprocesses which take place at inner molecular level of the organisation of the vegetal unit, being simultaneously projected at the external level by a particular physiological behaviour. [Morris et al., 2009; Bozinovic et al., 2006]. The term "allelopathy" was first introduced in 1937 by Molisch, defining the chemical interactions (both stimulation and inhibition) between all types of plants, including microorganisms. [Azim 2008, Murrell et al., 2011]. Observations regarding the allelopathic interactions between the plant species have a history of centuries, but the transition from observation to scientific certitude and demonstration has been achieved recently. [Wilkinson et al., 2000; Tharayil et al., 2009]. The allelopathic inhibition is often generated and amplified by the association with one or more abiotic or biotic stress. [Kaur et al., 2009]. On the background of the geochemical configuration of the biotope, for each ecosystem is realised a particular biochemical structure, produced by the plants metabolism. [Viard-Crétat et al., 2009].