title: Essential oil composition variability among natural populations of Pinus mugo Turra in Kosovo.
abstract: Pinus mugo Turra, is a native pine species in central and southern Europe, growing in high mountains area (altitudes 1.800-2.300 m.a.s.l.). In Kosovo, it is one of the native pines too, distributed in high altitudes in the Sharri Mountains and Albanian Alps Mountains. Its populations represent an important wealth of essential oil resources available, which make this species very important in terms of economic values. The chemical composition and yields of the essential oils of dwarf pine (Pinus mugo Turra) needles, twigs and cones from six wild populations in Kosovo were investigated with the aim to assess their natural variability. The identity of P. mugo was confirmed by morphology and DNA barcoding. Sixty-two compounds were identified representing 69-95 % of the total identified compounds. The yield ranged from 0.3-0.8 % v/w in needles, 1.0-2.4 % v/w in twigs and 0.1-0.5 % v/w in cones, depending on the origin of plant material and plant organs. α-Pinene (needles: 16.9-24.5 %; twigs: 4.5-8.8 %; cones: 3.1-5.6 %), β-pinene (needles: 1.5-5.4 %; twigs: 2.2-15.4 %; cones: 1.3-14.2 %), δ-3-carene (needles: 15.4-27.8 %; twigs: 24.0-51.6 %; cones: 10.5-31.5 %), limonene + β-phellandrene (needles: 1.9-5.9 %; twigs: 12.6-24.2 %; cones: 2.1-9.3 %), (E)-caryophyllene (needles: 4.4-8.9 %; twigs: 4.0-10.8 %; cones: 10.3-26.9 %) and germacrene D (needles: 4.0-8.3 %; twigs: 0.2-6.19 %; cones: 0.1-12.4 %) were the major components of the essential oil. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analyses (HCA) suggests that the population of P. mugo clustering is not related to their geographic location, but rather seemed to be linked to local selective forces acting on chemotype diversity. Low variability related to their geographic location has an economic importance since samples originating from different locations in Kosovo can treated with same standards.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Prishtina, Mother Theresa St, 10000 Prishtinë, Kosovo ; Institute of Biological and Environmental Research, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Prishtina, Mother Theresa St, 10000 Prishtinë, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Avni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hajdari
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Prishtina, Mother Theresa St, 10000 Prishtinë, Kosovo ; Institute of Biological and Environmental Research, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Prishtina, Mother Theresa St, 10000 Prishtinë, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Behxhet
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mustafa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Prishtina, Mother Theresa St, 10000 Prishtinë, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Gresa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ahmeti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Prishtina, Mother Theresa St, 10000 Prishtinë, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Bledar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pulaj
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz, 11210 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lukas
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Agricultural University of Tirana, Kodër Kamëz, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Alban
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ibraliu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Vodnjanska 17, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Gjoshe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stefkov
authors.affiliation: Center for the Study of Human Health, Emory University, 550 Asbury Circle, Candler Library 107E, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA ; Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1518 Clifton Road NE, CNR 5035, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA.
authors.forename: Cassandra L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Quave
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz, 11210 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novak
keywords: Essential oil; Kosovo; Natural variability; Pinus mugo