Abstract:Alpha-terithienyl, a photosensitive compound origin from Asteraceae, was studied on growth inhibition of photoactivation to several plants. The result showed that the growth of root and stem of Echinochloa crusgalli, Mimosa pudica and Brassica chinensis was inhibited by α-terithienyl under UV-A irradiation. In tested plants E.crusgalli is one of the most sensitive to α-terithienyl, the inhibition percentage on the growth of root and stem was 87.89 and 95.29 with irradiation for 3 h and non-irradiation was 13.70 and -5.86 at 10 mg/L of α-terithienyl, respectively. From the result of experiment of different time of irradiation and different concentrations of α-terithienyl to E.crusgalli on growth inhibition, it was found that the growth inhibition was correlated well with time of irradiation and the concentration of α-terithienyl. Only with enough time of irradiation can α-terithienyl produced the effect of growth inhibition to E.crusgalli. Electron microscope observation showed that the cell membrane in culture cells of E.crusgalli is the main action-target of α-terithienyl under irradiation.