Characteristics of essential oil composition in the needles of young stand of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing along aerial ammonia gradient

Abstract

Content and composition of needle essential oils of young Scots pine stands (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing along an ammonia gradient (in the impact zone of a nitrogen fertilizer factory, JSC Achema, Jonava, Lithuania) have been studied. Eight young pine stands growing at a distance up to 22 km from the factory were chosen for sampling. Volatile components of the current-year and one-year-old needles were obtained by a simultaneous hydrodistillationextraction of dried material and analysed by GC and GC/MS. The yield of the essential oil varied from 0.25 to 0.47% and 0.25–0.49% in the current-year and one-year-old needles of pine, respectively. A slight increase of the oil yield was observed in the needles collected in pinewoods located at a distance up to 5 km from the factory. The chemical composition of the volatile oils of the dried needles collected at different distances was investigated. The most predominant fraction was found to be monoterpene hydrocarbons (58.4–72.4% and 45.0–60.8% in the current-year and one-yearold needles, respectively) with the major constituents -pinene (19.8–35.0% and 18–28.0%) and -3-carene (22.7%–33.7% and 19.9–25.9%). Variability of the amounts of these major constituents in the needles of the stands growing at different distances from the factory were represented. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were the second dominating fraction in the oils and formed 14.5– 25.7% and 18.5–33.1%, in the current-year and one-year-old needles, respectively. Under... [to full text]