Molecular resin composition of two taxodium taxa growing in different climate condition: Chromatographic and spectroscopic study

Abstract

The molecular composition of resins from tree trunk, female cone, and needles (from its extract and a raw material) originating from two taxodiaceous varieties Taxodium ascendens growing in the Okefenokee Swamp located in the southeastern corner of Georgia (USA) and Taxodium distichum growing in the Průhonice Park located in the southeast of Prague (Czech Republic) were analyzed to determine chemical processes involved in the responses of plants to their environment. Despite expectation, any differences in terpenoids production in response to completely different geographic regions and climatic conditions were not found out using spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Obtained data confirmed the very high degree of terpenoids composition similarity between T. ascendens and T. distichum. Chromatographic spectra of female cone and needle extracts were dominated by monoterpenoids, while diterpenoids predominated in the resin from the tree trunk. Using derivatization with BF3 and TMAH during pyrolysis, the same diterpenoids with various abietane structures were revealed in both varieties. In this study, spectral data of the original unseparated resin from female cone exudates were described for the first time, and an overview of aliphatic and aromatic structures, and the oxygen functional groups such as hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups, esters and highly conjugated carbonyls was given. Studying variation in the amount and composition of terpenoids in needle extracts of T. distichum showed that some variability in terpenoids quality and quantity was related to the season and maturity of the needles.

Keywords: Taxodium ascendens, Taxodium distichum, terpenoids, ATR-FTIR, GC/MS, pyrolysis.

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