Differentiation of five pine species cultivated in Brazil based on chemometric analysis of their volatiles identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Abstract

A composição dos voláteis emitidos por diferentes árvores é usada com sucesso como marcador em uma grande variedade de estudos, como a quimiotaxonomia. A caracterização dos voláteis emitidos por diferentes espécies de Pinus provou ser uma ferramenta importante para entender o processo de seleção de plantas hospedeiras por insetos herbívoros. Os voláteis dos galhos de cinco espécies de Pinus (P. caribaea, P. elliottii, P. maximinoi, P. patula e P. taeda) foram coletados por aeração e analisados por cromatografia gasosa com detector de ionização de chama (GC-FID), utilizando colunas de fase não-polar e quiral, e espectrometria de massas (GC-MS) com analisador de quadrupolo. A composição relativa foi usada para análises de componentes principais (PCA) e de agrupamento hierárquico (HCA) para a discriminação das cinco espécies.The composition of the volatiles emitted by different trees has been successfully used as a marker in a wide variety of studies, such as chemotaxonomy. Characterization of the volatiles emitted by different species of Pinus has proven to be an important tool to understand the process of host-tree selection by herbivorous insects. The volatiles present in samples of the branches of five species of Pinus (P. caribaea, P. elliottii, P. maximinoi, P. patula and P. taeda) were collected by aeration, and the contents analyzed by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector (GC-FID), applying non-polar and chiral column phases, and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using a quadrupole mass analyzer. The relative composition of the different volatiles was used to perform a discriminant analysis among the five pine species, by means of cluster (HCA) and principal component (PCA) analyses. Keywords: Pinus, volatiles, principal component analysis, hierarchical component analysis, chemotaxonomy IntroductionThe genus Pinus (Pinaceae) comprises 105 tree species, which are important and often dominant vegetation in large land areas of the Northern Hemisphere. 1 In addition to their wood and other products of high economic value, trees of Pinus influence ecosystems in various ways as they affect biochemical processes and hydrological regimes, and provide food and create habitat for animals. Pinus trees are cultivated in many countries, both inside and outside their natural habitats. 2 In Brazil, pine trees, mainly Pinus taeda L. and Pinus elliottii Engelmann, have been cultivated on a commercial scale for over 30 years. 3 Currently there are about 2 million hectares of commercial pine plantations, in large continuous areas and generally in stands with a narrow genetic base, Marques et al. 1757 Vol. 23, No. 9, 2012 mainly in the South and Southeast Regions. 4 The product of these plantations is mostly destined for the timber and cellulose industries. 5 Since 2001, the banded pine weevil Pissodes castaneus (De Geer, 1775), which attacks preferentially P. taeda, has become an important pest of pine trees in Brazil. In 2002, 7.6% of the trees of a Pinus taeda plantation in Cambará do Sul City (Rio Grande do Sul...

Pine oleoresin: tapping green chemicals, biofuels, food protection, and carbon sequestration from multipurpose trees

“…; Marques et al. ), most of them were made with the purpose to assess the economic viability of performing resin‐tapping operations in specific sites (Coppen et al. ,b, ; Jantam and Ahmad ; Rezzi et al.…”

Enantiospecific responses of southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) and its clerid predator, Thanasimus dubius, to α-pinene

“…Pine species vary in the enantiomeric ratio of a-pinene present in their oleoresin Marques et al 2012), although a systematic study of a-pinene chirality in D. frontalis host pines has not been published. Thus, the preference of D. frontalis for (?…”

“…)-a-pinene could potentially play a role in host discrimination. This is suggested by the observation that a-pinene in the oleoresin of P. taeda, a preferred host of D. frontalis (Hain et al 2011), is predominantly plus (Gambliel et al 1985;Marques et al 2012) whereas the resin of an apparently less susceptible species, P. elliottii Engelm. (Hodges et al 1979) is reported to be nearly racemic (Marques et al 2012).…”

“…This is suggested by the observation that a-pinene in the oleoresin of P. taeda, a preferred host of D. frontalis (Hain et al 2011), is predominantly plus (Gambliel et al 1985;Marques et al 2012) whereas the resin of an apparently less susceptible species, P. elliottii Engelm. (Hodges et al 1979) is reported to be nearly racemic (Marques et al 2012). There is little evidence that a-pinene or host odors in general are attractive alone to D. frontalis and thus play a role in initial (''primary'') host location by this species (Payne and Coulson 1985;Sullivan 2011).…”

“…Our research objectives were to determine whether enantiomeric preferences exist and whether these differ between species, sexes (for D. frontalis only), and seasons (fall vs. spring). Pine species differ in the ratios of a-pinene enantiomers they produce (Marques et al 2012), hence discrimination of a-pinene enantiomers could potentially influence D. frontalis host tree preferences and T. dubius prey finding efficiency. Furthermore, if enantiomeric preferences are absent, it should be possible to change the enantiomeric composition of the a-pinene component of the population monitoring lure (as may be dictated by cost or availability) without reducing lure sensitivity or requiring recalibration of the predictive model.…”