ERIC Number: EJ1442020
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Mar
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: EISSN-1938-1328
Investigation of the Chemical Inhibition Effect of Ground Elder ("Aegopodium Podagraria") on Timothy ("Phleum Pratense")--Introducing High School Students to Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Ecology
Linus Svenberg; Lovisa Malm; Narin Abdollahzadeh; Negar Gohari; Maria Almlo¨v; Annika Norin; Åsa Emmer
Journal of Chemical Education, v100 n3 p1227-1236 2023
The understanding of analytical chemistry and its application in different areas of life science is something that should be encouraged for students studying chemistry, and also something that appeals to many students. Life science includes a vast variety of areas, out of which some are more easily approached in student projects. The chemical communication between organisms, such as plants, as described in chemical ecology is one example. It is therefore beneficial to offer students inquiry-based project work that allows them to explore, and gain a deeper understanding of, this discipline within the grand context that is chemistry. Hence, the present work describes the application of analytical chemistry using gas chromatography--mass spectrometry, including sample preparation for the study of chemical inhibitory (allelopathic) properties of compounds found in the plant "Aegopodium podagraria." The questions posed to the students performing this project work were "What compounds can be found in the extracts of the plant?", "Are the extracts allelopathic?", and "Can you determine which compounds contribute to the possible allelopathic properties?". The reported results indicate that the extracts might have allelopathic properties and showed that the extracts contained compounds such as a-pinene and ß-caryophyllene. The identified terpenes were shown to have minor allelopathic properties by themselves but displayed an impact on the germination of seeds and length of the sprouts when applied as a blend. This project, and its results, proposes a framework for investigation of other plants and can be adapted to suit students at different academic levels.
Descriptors: Chemistry, Ecology, Secondary School Science, High School Students, Active Learning, Student Projects, Spectroscopy, Plants (Botany), Scientific Concepts, Mathematical Concepts
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A