INDUCED ISOFLAVONOIDS IN DIVERSE POPULATIONS OF ASTRAGALUS-CICER

Isoflavonoids were induced in mature leaves of the legume Astragalus c icer L. by spores of the fungus Bipolaris zeicola. The five major elic ited compounds included two isoflavans (mucronulatol and astraciceran) , two isoflavones (cajanin and acicerone), and a pterocarpan (maackiai n). Only occasional traces of these compounds were detected in control s. Among 41 populations originating in Europe or Russia, mean total el icited isoflavonoid content differed 12-fold. Mucronulatol was the pre dominant compound elicited, comprising 20-70% of total isoflavonoids. Significant interpopulational differences existed for each isoflavonoi d, but no geographic patterns of total or relative proportions of the five compounds were discernible.