AN ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOSITION OF THE NEEDLES OF SCOTS PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) GROWING IN THE SOILS OF DIFFERENT TYPE

Extracts of pines have diverse physiological and pharmacological actions, its buds, needles and bark are used in phytotherapy.Geographical, seasonal, age-related, inter-population differencies of volatile compounds in the needles were defined. Wider surveys of the needle essential oil composition under the different type of soils are still scarse. Despite Scots pine is the prevailing tree in the forests of Lithuania, little is known about its essential oils. The aim of our study was to evaluate the essential oil composition in the needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing on arenosols (3 sites), luvisols (3 sites) and histosols (3 sites). Current-year and one-year-old needles of 8 pines in each site were sampled in July, 2005. Volatile components of the needles were extracted and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Seventy one identified component made up 89.1-95.1 % of total oil content. The most predominant fraction was found to be monoterpenes (19.0-40.0 %), with pinene (6.1-26.1 %) and 3-carene (4.9-22.9 %) as the major constituents. Between the pine stands growing on the soils of different type statistically significant changes in percentage concentrations of monoterpens, sesquiterpens, oxysesquiterpens, diterpens were documented. For the pines growing on histosols and luvisols bigger amounts of shorter chain terpens and smaller amounts of longer chain terpens are produced when compared to pines on arenosols. Determined changes in the proportion of components of the essential oils in the needles of the trees growing on different types of soil may significantly modify medicinal value of the needles

BIOMARKERS AMONG TERPENOIDS AND QUANTITY OF EPIPHYTIC MICROFLORA OF ARTEMISIA L. SPECIES NATIVE FOR LITHUANIA

Species belonging to Artemisia L. genus are rich in secondary metabolites (flavonoids, essential oils) and have been widely used in pharmacology and food industry. The concentration of the secondary metabolites depends on nutrition and developmental stage of the plant. Little is known about biology of Artemisia species (A. campestris L., A. vulgaris L. and A. absinthium L.) naturally growing in Lithuania. The aim of the work included evaluation of biomarkers among terpenoids in the plants, growing under different climatic and environmental conditions. Morphological properties of the plants were evaluated. For the quantity and chemical composition of the essential oils the following methods and techniques were used: gas chromatograph (HP 5890 II) with mass spectrometric detector (HP 5971), HPLC (chromatograph Waters 2690) equipped with VIS-UV detector (Waters 2487) and VIS-UV spectrophotometer (Genesys 5). The main biomarkers among terpenoids were determined (major specific compounds, with amount ³ 10 %): a- ir b -pinenes, sabinene, thujones, 1,8-cineole (for A. vulgaris), epoxi-ocimene (for A. absinthium), chrysanthenyl acetate (for A. vulgaris), trans-caryophyllene, germacrene D, trans-sabinyl acetate (for A. absinthium ), g-curcumene+acoradiene (for A. campestris). Synthesis of the secondary metabolites is influenced by nutrition and related to the quantity of the epiphytic microorganisms. According to the quantity of epiphytic microflora developmental differences were observed, also aboveground organ specificity was documented. No expressed differences were found between investigated species according to the amount of surface microorganisms. The differences in nitrogen nutrition got the best reflection in the ratio of the amounts of bacteria and fungi

COMPOSITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ESSENTIAL OILS OF WILD POPULATIONS OF HYPERICUM PERFORATUM (ST. JOHN’S WORT) FROM LITHUANIA AND FRANCE

Hypericum is a genus of many species that occurs in all temperate parts of the world. Five species of the genus grow wild in Lithuania whereas twenty-eight species of the same genus occur in France. H. perforatum is the most abundant and frequently used as a medical plant and is very significant in pharmacology. Many studies confirmed its antidepressant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer and other activities. Numerous classes of bioactive chemical constituents have been investigated in St. John’s wort, but number of studies on volatile oils is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate characteristics of volatile oils in various wild populations of H. perforatum from Lithuania and France. Essential oil qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed on aerial parts of H. perforatum collected in different places from Lithuania (2002-2007) and France (2000-2003). The oils were analysed by gas chromatography (FID and capillary columns HP-FFAP and CP Sil) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry GC-MS (nonpolar cap. column DB-5). Qualitative analysis was based on a comparison of retention times, indices and mass spectra with the corresponding data in the literature and computer mass spectra libraries. A great variability was pointed out between the compositions of the essential oils from the various localities of collection. Even if trans-caryophyllene and its oxide, germacrene D, spathulenol and several aliphatic compounds were the major compounds in all the oils, those from Lithuanian plants were rich in -pinene, while this compound was almost not present in the oils from France. Acknowledgements: Lithuanian Science and Studies Foundation, project “BIOMARKS” (V-08/2008, reg. No. V-08033) in the programme “Gilibert”