Abstract.

Three new N-pyrrolylcarboxylic acids were synthesizedviaPaal-Knorr cyclization by condensation of γ-aminobutyric acid and 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds. Their phytochemical activity was studied and it was found that all compounds exhibit herbicidal activity comparable with that of the used standard glyphosate. A more pronounced herbicidal activity was determined in relation to the monocotyledonous species.The substitution of the chlorine atom in the benzene ring to the pyrrole with a methyl or a methoxy moiety increases the herbicidal activity of the compounds. No concentration dependence was established on the herbicidal effects of newly synthesized compounds. It is shown that all three newly synthesized N-pyrrolylcarboxylic acids acted as potential herbicides but the exact mechanism of the herbicide action of the newly synthesized tested compounds remained unclear. Further investigations are needed to solve this problem.