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Planta Med 2021; 87(12/13): 1032-1044
DOI: 10.1055/a-1529-8370
Natural Product Chemistry and Analytical Studies
Original Papers

Chemical Differentiation of Plant Latexes and Their Anti-herbivory Activity against Thrips Frankliniella occidentalis [ # ]

Luis Francisco Salomé-Abarca 
1   Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
,
Thomas van der Toorn
1   Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
,
Rogier van Vugt
2   Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
,
Peter G. L. Klinkhamer
3   Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
,
Young Hae Choi 
1   Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
4   College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Abstract

Despite the extensive studies on latex, some fundamental questions on their chemical specialization and the factors influencing this specialization have yet to be investigated. To address this issue, latexes and their bearing tissues from diverse species were profiled by 1HNMR and GC-MS. Additionally, the antiherbivory activity of these materials was tested against thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande, 1895). The multivariate data analysis showed a clear separation between latexes and leaves from the same species. Conversely, the chemical profiles of latexes from different species were highly similar, that is, they displayed much less metabolic species-specificity. These shared chemical profiles of latexes were reflected in their overall higher mortality index (80.4% ± 7.5) against thrips compared with their bearing tissues (55.5% ± 14.9). The metabolites correlated to the antiherbivory activity of latexes were triterpenoids and steroids. However, the activity could not be attributed to any single terpenoid. This discrepancy and the reduction of the latex activity after fractionation suggested a complementary effect of the compounds when in a mixture as represented by the latex. Additionally, aqueous fractions of several latexes were found to possess simple spectra, even with only 1 metabolite. These metabolites were determined to be organic acids that might be involved in the modulation of the rate of latex coagulation, potentially increasing the sealing and trapping effects of the latex.

Key words

Apocynaceae - Euphorbiaceae - Moraceae - Clusiaceae - triterpenes - organic acids - latex

# For inclusion in the special issue of Planta Medica dedicated to Arnold Vlietinck on the occasion of his 80th birthday.


Supporting Information

    Information about compound spectra (2D NMR spectrum) is available as Supporting Information.

  • Supporting Information


Publication History

Received: 23 December 2020

Accepted after revision: 10 June 2021

Article published online:
08 July 2021

© 2021. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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