Chemical Composition of Cuticular Waxes and Pigments and Morphology of Leaves of <i>Quercus suber</i> Trees of Different Provenance
The chemical composition of cuticular waxes and pigments and the morphological features of cork oak (<i>Quercus suber</i>) leaves were determined for six samples with seeds of different geographical origins covering the natural distribution of the species. The leaves of all samples exhib...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/9/1165 |
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| author | Rita Simões Ana Rodrigues Suzana Ferreira-Dias Isabel Miranda Helena Pereira |
| author_facet | Rita Simões Ana Rodrigues Suzana Ferreira-Dias Isabel Miranda Helena Pereira |
| author_sort | Rita Simões |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The chemical composition of cuticular waxes and pigments and the morphological features of cork oak (<i>Quercus suber</i>) leaves were determined for six samples with seeds of different geographical origins covering the natural distribution of the species. The leaves of all samples exhibited a hard texture and oval shape with a dark green colour on the hairless adaxial surface, while the abaxial surface was lighter, with numerous stomata and densely covered with trichomes in the form of stellate multicellular hairs. The results suggest an adaptive role of leaf features among samples of different provenance and the potential role of such variability in dealing with varying temperatures and rainfall regimes through local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, as was seen in the trial site, since no significant differences in leaf traits among the various specimens were found, for example, specific leaf area 55.6–67.8 cm<sup>2</sup>/g, leaf size 4.6–6.8 cm<sup>2</sup> and photosynthetic pigment (total chlorophyll, 31.8–40.4 µg/cm<sup>2</sup>). The leaves showed a substantial cuticular wax layer (154.3–235.1 µg/cm<sup>2</sup>) composed predominantly of triterpenes and aliphatic compounds (61–72% and 17–23% of the identified compounds, respectively) that contributed to forming a nearly impermeable membrane that helps the plant cope with drought conditions. These characteristics are related to the species and did not differ among trees of different seed origin. The major identified compound was lupeol, indicating that cork oak leaves may be considered as a potential source of this bioactive compound. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:28:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-260c0b5e621d4cdb9274245379481dee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:28:22Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-260c0b5e621d4cdb9274245379481dee2023-11-20T13:01:48ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472020-09-0199116510.3390/plants9091165Chemical Composition of Cuticular Waxes and Pigments and Morphology of Leaves of <i>Quercus suber</i> Trees of Different ProvenanceRita Simões0Ana Rodrigues1Suzana Ferreira-Dias2Isabel Miranda3Helena Pereira4Centro de Estudos Florestais (CEF), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, PortugalCentro de Estudos Florestais (CEF), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, PortugalLinking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food (LEAF), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, PortugalCentro de Estudos Florestais (CEF), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, PortugalCentro de Estudos Florestais (CEF), Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, PortugalThe chemical composition of cuticular waxes and pigments and the morphological features of cork oak (<i>Quercus suber</i>) leaves were determined for six samples with seeds of different geographical origins covering the natural distribution of the species. The leaves of all samples exhibited a hard texture and oval shape with a dark green colour on the hairless adaxial surface, while the abaxial surface was lighter, with numerous stomata and densely covered with trichomes in the form of stellate multicellular hairs. The results suggest an adaptive role of leaf features among samples of different provenance and the potential role of such variability in dealing with varying temperatures and rainfall regimes through local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, as was seen in the trial site, since no significant differences in leaf traits among the various specimens were found, for example, specific leaf area 55.6–67.8 cm<sup>2</sup>/g, leaf size 4.6–6.8 cm<sup>2</sup> and photosynthetic pigment (total chlorophyll, 31.8–40.4 µg/cm<sup>2</sup>). The leaves showed a substantial cuticular wax layer (154.3–235.1 µg/cm<sup>2</sup>) composed predominantly of triterpenes and aliphatic compounds (61–72% and 17–23% of the identified compounds, respectively) that contributed to forming a nearly impermeable membrane that helps the plant cope with drought conditions. These characteristics are related to the species and did not differ among trees of different seed origin. The major identified compound was lupeol, indicating that cork oak leaves may be considered as a potential source of this bioactive compound.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/9/1165coak oakchlorophyllterpeneslupeolcuticular permeance |
| spellingShingle | Rita Simões Ana Rodrigues Suzana Ferreira-Dias Isabel Miranda Helena Pereira Chemical Composition of Cuticular Waxes and Pigments and Morphology of Leaves of <i>Quercus suber</i> Trees of Different Provenance Plants coak oak chlorophyll terpenes lupeol cuticular permeance |
| title | Chemical Composition of Cuticular Waxes and Pigments and Morphology of Leaves of <i>Quercus suber</i> Trees of Different Provenance |
| title_full | Chemical Composition of Cuticular Waxes and Pigments and Morphology of Leaves of <i>Quercus suber</i> Trees of Different Provenance |
| title_fullStr | Chemical Composition of Cuticular Waxes and Pigments and Morphology of Leaves of <i>Quercus suber</i> Trees of Different Provenance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chemical Composition of Cuticular Waxes and Pigments and Morphology of Leaves of <i>Quercus suber</i> Trees of Different Provenance |
| title_short | Chemical Composition of Cuticular Waxes and Pigments and Morphology of Leaves of <i>Quercus suber</i> Trees of Different Provenance |
| title_sort | chemical composition of cuticular waxes and pigments and morphology of leaves of i quercus suber i trees of different provenance |
| topic | coak oak chlorophyll terpenes lupeol cuticular permeance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/9/1165 |
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