Understanding the phytochemical diversity of plants: Quantification, variation and ecological function

Abstract

Plants produce a great number of phytochemical compounds mediating a variety of different functions. Recently, phytochemical diversity (chemodiversity), a way which to quantify the complex phenotype formed by sets of phytochemicals, has been suggested to be important for function. However, no study has systematically examined the potential (in)direct functional importance of chemodiversity on a general level, partly due to a lack of an agreement on how to quantify this aspect of the plant phenotype. This paper has four aims: 1) We discuss how chemodiversity (deconstructed into components of richness, evenness and disparity) may quantify different aspects of the phenotype that are ecologically relevant. 2) We systematically review the literature on chemodiversity to examine methodological practices, explore ecological patterns of variability in diversity across different levels of biological organization, and investigate the functional role of this diversity in interactions between plants and other organisms. 3) We provide a framework facilitating decisions on which measure of chemodiversity is best used in different contexts. 4) We outline open questions and avenues for future research in this area. A more thorough understanding of phytochemical diversity will increase our knowledge on the functional role phytochemical compounds, and how they shape ecological interactions between plants and their environment.

Phytochemical diversity within and among Sardinian populations of the endemic Teucrium marum L. (Lamiaceae) is determined by ecological factors

“…The coastal samples from Cagliari and Alghero had the highest percentage of dolichodial , while the lowest was found in Limbara, and intermediate amounts were found in Osilo and Urzulei. This variation in presence could be linked to altitude and climatic factors, demonstrating the strong influence that environmental factors have on the chemical composition of the EO, as previously reported in previous studies [ [1] , [2] , [3] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] ].…”

“…Therefore, wild aromatic plants present high chemical polymorphisms in response to the contrasted environmental conditions and geographical distances of their different populations, leading to an important intra- and inter-population chemical variability [ [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. In the same way, the variability of the essential oil (EO) composition of the natural populations is related also to various environmental, geographical, and genetic factors, which influence, in combination or independently, the essential oils (EOs) quantitative and qualitative composition and properties [ [1] , [2] , [3] , 9 , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] , [24] , [25] ]. Essential oils from Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) have been considered of special economic interest, as in the pharmaceutical, medical, and agricultural fields, by virtue of their biologically active compounds [ 5 , 8 , [26] , [27] , [28] , [29] , [30] , [31] ].…”

Geographic distribution of terpenoid chemotypes in Tanacetum vulgare mediates tansy aphid occurrence but not abundance

“…Quantifying the FHD enabled us to study the diversity of tansy monoterpenoid and sesquiterpenoid chemotype classes in novel ways that differ in the weight placed on abundant compounds through compound richness, evenness and disparity (Petrén et al 2023b). Overall, chemotypes that are dominated by individual compounds (and hence have a lower evenness) The diversity profile shows the functional Hill diversity (FHD) at diversity orders from q = 0 to q = 3 for MT (b) and ST (c) chemotype classes.…”

Geographic distribution of terpenoid chemotypes inTanacetum vulgaremediates tansy aphid occurrence and abundance

“…Quantifying the functional Hill diversity enabled us to study the diversity of tansy monoterpenoid and sesquiterpenoid chemotype classes in novel ways that differ in the weight placed on abundant compounds through compound richness, evenness and disparity (Petrén et al, 2023b). Functional Hill diversity among monoterpenoid classes was the lowest for classes 1 and 3, which was lowest at higher orders of q, emphasizing the role of abundant compounds in these classes.…”