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Epicuticular Waxes Provide Insights into Phytochemical Differentiation of Natural Populations of Pinus mugo Turra sensu stricto
Author(s) -
Mitić Zorica S.,
Nikolić Jelena S.,
Zlatković Bojan K.,
Milanovici Sretco J.,
Jovanović Snežana Č.,
Nikolić Biljana M.,
Stojanović Gordana S.,
Marin Petar D.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemistry and biodiversity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1612-1880
pISSN - 1612-1872
DOI - 10.1002/cbdv.201800378
Subject(s) - sensu stricto , epicuticular wax , botany , phytochemical , wax , range (aeronautics) , balkan peninsula , biology , ecology , zoology , biochemistry , materials science , composite material
Phytochemical diversity and differentiation of nine native populations of Pinus mugo sensu stricto from Julian Alps, Southern Carpathians and Balkan Peninsula were analyzed in regard to their epicuticular wax compounds. GC/MS and GC‐FID analyses of the hexane extracts of needle samples, collected from 118 individuals of P. mugo , revealed the presence of six diterpenes, three primary alcohols and 10 n ‐alkanes ranging from C 19 to C 29 (except n ‐alkane C 21 ). According to simple linear regression, the contents of epicuticular wax compounds showed generally weak correlations with tested bioclimatic, orographic and geographic parameters, leading to assumption about their genetic conditioning. The multivariate statistical analyses suggested the existence of two chemical entities: the Alpine and the South Carpathian, while the Balkan populations appeared heterogeneous as three of them belonged to the Alpine and one to the South Carpathian group. The obtained results are largely consistent to those previously published in reference to morpho‐anatomical and molecular characters of P. mugo , supporting the hypothesis of colonization of Balkan Peninsula from two different glacial refugia: from the Alps (across the Dinarides) and from the Southern Carpathians. Extending this study to the entire range of P. mugo complex should provide a clearer picture of its phytochemical diversity and differentiation.