CHEMICAL DIVERSITY OF SEVERAL BETULACEAE SPECIES - COMPARISON OF PHENOLICS AND TERPENOIDS IN NORTHERN BIRCH STEMS

Phenolics and terpenoids characteristic for silver birch (Betula pendu la Roth) were screened in current-growth twigs of seedlings (1-growing -season-old individuals) and current-growth twigs of saplings (3 to 5- year-old individuals) of several birch species. Seedlings were grown i n 3 greenhouse for 1 growing season. Saplings were field cultivated or wild-stand individuals. Chemicals were methanol-extracted, purified a nd HPLC-diode array detector-, gas chromatograph-flame ionizaton detec tor- and gas chromatograph-mass selective-analyzed. Species-specific q ualitative and quantitative variation of secondary chemicals in birch stems were considerable and dependent on the age of the individual. Ti le chemical diversity and amount were lower in seedlings than in sapli ngs. In saplings. (+)-catechin and its derivatives were found in nearl y ali species, while arylbutanoids (+/- rhododendrol glucosides), an a ryl-heptanoid (platyphyllodise) and dammaraneterpenoids (papyriferic a cid, deacetylpapyriferic acid and pendulic acid) showed a more restric ted distribution. The chemicals analyzed in bird stems are a useful to ol for recognition of species.