Multivariate Analysis of the Terpene Composition of Osteophloeum platyspermum Warb. (Myristicaceae) and Its Relationship to Seasonal Variation Over a Two-Year Period

Author(s)

Suffredini, Ivana B. ; de Sousa, Sinaria R. N. ; Frana, Sergio A. ; Suffredini, Hugo B. ; Diaz, Ingrit E. C. ; Paciencia, Mateus L. B.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants; v. 19, n. 6, p. 14-pg., 2016-01-01.

Abstract

Thirteen samples of essential oils were obtained from the leaves of ucuuba-chico-de-assis (Osteophloeum platyspermum, Myristicaceae), a long-lived pioneer tree from the Amazon rain forest. The leaves were 13 times collected from the same individual during a 2 year period. The essential oils were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fifty terpenes were identified and the amount corresponded to 97.67 % of the total terpene amount, composed by 44.00 % of monoterpenes and 56.00 % of sesquiterpenes. Major compounds were beta-pinene, limonene and a-pinene in all 13 oils. The presence of three major compounds together with alpha-terpineol, terpinen-4-ol, beta-elemene, gamma-elemene, myrcene, linalool, neo-intermedeol, elemol, alpha-cadinol, 1-epi-cubenol, spathulenol, isospathulenol, viridiflorol, and ledol were common to the 13 essential oils. Multivariate analyses of the 17 terpenes were done considering some environmental changes as seasons and occurrence of El Nino and La Nina, and climate variables as max daily temperature, total daily irradiation, relative humidity, and total daily precipitation. Results showed that the 13 essential oils could be subgrouped into those in which the expression of the volatile composition was closely related to the dry season and to the rainy season. The results also showed that the presence of a-terpineol, terpinen-4-ol, myrcene, and limonene was related to daily maximum irradiation, and neo-intermedeol, spathulenol, and elemol were more related to relative humidity. This is the first report on how the volatiles of ucuuba-chico-de-assis are influenced by climate changes in the Amazon rain forest. The present study suggests that wild plants are susceptible to climate changes in order to express specific volatile compounds. (AU)