PLANT CELL BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Chromolaena odorata combines invasive ecological behaviour with chemically diverse biomass that is investigated for medicinal and agricultural uses. These attributes are often reviewed separately, encouraging either an exclusively harmful portrayal or insufficiently qualified claims of usefulness. This critical narrative review integrates evidence on population biology, invasion mechanisms, phytochemistry, biological activities, allelopathy and agricultural applications published through 31 July 2026. Literature was selected through targeted searches of accessible scholarly indexes, regional sources and reference networks, with study design, material identity, exposure conditions and external validity used to interpret findings. The evidence supports context-dependent invasion success shaped by provenance, propagule production, resource availability, competitor identity and soil-mediated interactions. Chemical investigations identify flavonoids, phenolic constituents, volatile compounds and pyrrolizidine alkaloids, but their distribution and biological relevance vary with plant organ, extraction procedure and formulation. Isolated compounds and extracts demonstrate biochemical, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities, while cell and animal experiments provide a stronger, although still preclinical, basis for selected wound-healing mechanisms. These findings do not establish clinical effectiveness or general safety. Allelopathic potential is supported by controlled assays, but the contribution of naturally occurring chemical exposure to field-scale invasion remains less securely resolved. Agricultural evidence is differentiated: compost has some crop-field support, whereas biochar, botanical herbicides and nematicidal preparations remain strongly dependent on soil conditions, processing and experimental setting. The same biomass can suppress seedlings when freshly extracted yet support crop growth after suitable transformation, without these outcomes being contradictory. A defensible development pathway therefore links authenticated material and chemical characterisation to realistic exposure, appropriate controls, safety assessment and net agronomic or ecological benefit. Utilisation should be evaluated as a component of containment and removal, rather than as a rationale for introducing or cultivating an invasive species. Priorities include replicated field experiments, environmental fate measurements, batch-standardised products and explicit assessment of the incentives created by biomass markets.