A METHOD TO QUANTIFY THE ALLELOPATHIC COMPOUND BATATASIN-III IN EXTRACTS FROM EMPETRUM-HERMAPHRODITUM USING GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY - APPLIED ONEXTRACTS FROM LEAVES OF DIFFERENT AGES

A gas chromatographic method was developed to quantify the allelopathi c compound, batatasin-III, in organic and water extracts of leaves fro m the boreal dwarf shrub Empetrum hermaphroditum. The method provides a rapid and inexpensive quantification of small masses of batatasin-II I in complex matrices. The compound was effectively separated from int erfering compounds using solid-phase extraction techniques and chromat ographed as a TMS-derivate on a nonpolar column. Batatasin-III was qua ntified in leaves and found to vary with the age of the shoot. The con centration of batatasin-III was highest in first- and second-year shoo ts, while third-year shoots contained about half that of younger shoot s. Senescent leaves on older shoots still contained a considerable amo unt of batatasin-III. The method described provides an important tool for the demonstration of allelopathy.