title: Variability of n-alkanes and nonacosan-10-ol in natural populations of Picea omorika.
abstract: This is the first report of population variability of the contents of n-alkanes and nonacosan-10-ol in the needle epicuticular waxes of Serbian spruce (Picea omorika). The hexane extracts of needle samples originated from three natural populations in Serbia (Vranjak, Zmajevački potok, and Mileševka Canyon) were investigated by GC and GC/MS analyses. The amount of nonacosan-10-ol varied individually from 50.05 to 74.42% (65.74% in average), but the differences between the three investigated populations were not statistically confirmed. The results exhibited variability of the composition of n-alkanes in the epicuticular waxes with their size ranging from C(18) to C(35). The most abundant n-alkanes were C(29), C(31), and C(27) (35.22, 13.77, and 12.28% in average, resp.). The carbon preference index of all the n-alkanes (CPI(total)) of the P. omorika populations (average of populations I-III) ranged from 3.3 to 11.5 (mean of 5.9), while the average chain length (ACL) ranged from 26.6 to 29.2. The principal component and cluster analyses of the contents of nine n-alkanes showed the greatest difference for the population growing in the Mileševka Canyon. The obtained results were compared with previous literature data given for other Picea species, and this comparison was briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forestry, Kneza Višeslava 3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. smikitis@gmail.com
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nikolić
authors.forename: Vele
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tešević
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ðorđević
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Todosijević
authors.forename: Milka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jadranin
authors.forename: Srdjan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bojović
authors.forename: Petar D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Marin
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006586:Hexanes / Q000737:chemistry; D028222:Picea / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: C468854:10-nonacosanol; D000473:Alkanes; D006586:Hexanes; D014315:Triterpenes