The Effect of Genotype and Cultivation Method on the Total Salicylate Yield of Dark-Leaved Willows (<i>Salix myrsinifolia</i>)

Vole feeding amongst herbal willows that have a high concentration of salicylates in their bark and leaves, and may therefore be cultivated for use as raw material for herbal medicine was tested in the field and in laboratory conditions. Eight clones of dark-leaved willow (Salix myrsinifolia Salisb.) were cultivated for two years with six different methods combining three fertilisation levels (none, low and high), black plastic mulch applied for suppressing weed competition and unmulched control. Samples for the laboratory feeding trial were taken from the unfertilised plants during willow winter dormancy and twigs were fed to 16 voles as a multi-choice experiment. The bark area removed was calculated from image analysis of the material left by the voles. The diameter and the bark thickness of the twigs were measured. Concentrations of salicin, salicortin, HCH-salicortin, picein, triandrin, triandrin derivative, gallocatechin, (+)-catechin, luteolin-7-glucoside, hyperin, total condensed tannins and total nitrogen were measured from the twigs fed to voles in the laboratory. Browsing by a natural population of voles amongst winter-dormant willows was measured in the field. In the laboratory, voles browsed on 80% of the twigs and in the field voles browsed on 33% of the twigs. Vole feeding followed similar patterns in the field and in the laboratory experiment; feeding was clearly higher amongst the plants grown in unmulched control compared to those in plastic mulch. The same clones, 1, 2 and 6 were preferred in both experiments. Voles preferred thin twigs to thick ones. Feeding correlated negatively with concentrations of salicylates and tannins. As vole feeding seems to be highly affected by willow cultivation method and plant genotype, careful selection of cultivated clones and cultivation methods can enhance the reliability of herbal willow cultivation.

show abstract

“…The system (Agilent 1100 series) is described in more detail in Heiska et al (2005). Elution systems were aq.…”

Section: Chemical Compounds In Willow Barkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bark salicylates and condensed tannins reduce vole browsing amongst cultivated dark-leaved willows (Salix myrsinifolia)

Heiska

Tikkanen

Rousi³

et al. 2007

Chemoecology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The study area was formerly growing shrubs and small sized trees, which were hacked down before the experiment was set up. Willow cuttings were planted on an untilled soil in late spring and the plants were cultivated for 2 years under different fertilisation levels as described in Heiska et al (2005). Fertiliser rates were the same as in the Luikonlahti experiment.…”

Section: Fertilisation Experiments In Punkaharjumentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Willows were planted from cuttings on ploughed and harrowed soil in late spring 2001 and cultivated by different methods for 2 years as described in Heiska et al (2005). Cultivation methods consisted of all six combinations of two mulching treatments (black polythene mulch applied to 50% of the plants prior to planting and bare soil to 50%) and three fertilisation levels (control low and high fertiliser rates, each applied to one third of the plants within the mulching treatments).…”

Section: Mulch and Fertilisation Experiments In Luikonlahtimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a cultivation system with a 2-year harvesting cycle, a reasonable yield of biomass and salicylates can be achieved by a cultivation technique that combines the use of plastic mulch and soil fertilisation. Plants with several branches instead of only a few are considered to be optimal for cultivation, because the proportion of salicylate containing bark is high in branches with a small diameter (Heiska et al 2005). A cultivation method that promotes the growth, may however, impair the resistance of herbal willows to pathogens and several insect herbivores (Orians and Fritz 1996;Floyd 1997, but see Hakulinen 1998).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A cultivation system for 'herbal willow', a willow that can be used as raw material for herbal drugs, has recently been studied with the aim of producing plant biomass that contains a high concentration of salicylates (Julkunen-Tiitto and Meier 1992;Heiska et al 2005). Salicylates, a group of low molecular weight phenolic glucosides, are typically found in the bark and leaves of naturally grown willow species (Julkunen-Tiitto 1989).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations