ISOLATION OF RESVERATROL FROM FESTUCA-VERSUTA AND EVIDENCE FOR THE WIDESPREAD OCCURRENCE OF THIS STILBENE IN THE POACEAE

Resveratrol has been isolated from Festuca versuta seed and confirmed to be present in F. arundinacea (seed and forage), in several Lolium a nd Hordeum species, in Stipa robusta, and in Poa alsodes. Most of the plant materials examined were naturally infected with fungal endophyte s of the genus Acremonium; however, some endophyte-free samples from t hese same species also contained resveratrol, usually in reduced conce ntrations. These observations represent the first reports of the stilb ene resveratrol in the Poaceae.