Distribution of foliar formylated phloroglucinol derivatives amongst Eucalyptus species

Formylated phloroglucinol compounds (FPCs) in Eucalyptus leaves are importa nt determinants of feeding in marsupial folivores and have a wide range of other biological actions. We conducted a survey of the occurrence of formyl ated phloroglucinol compounds (euglobals, macrocarpals and sideroxylonals) in acetone-petrol extracts of 41 species of Eucalyptus from among seven inf ormal subgenera growing on the East Coast of Australia. We used electrospra y ionisation, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry ( ESI-FTMS) to search crude extracts of eucalypt leaves for molecular weights characteristic of FPC compounds. We found masses characteristic of reporte d FPCs in 27 of the 41 species examined. The most-frequently identified gro up of compounds was the sideroxylonals. Notable was the lack of known FPCs in the informal subgenus Monocalyptus. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.