Secondary metabolism during ontogeny of Piper species
Secondary metabolites from plants possess a wide range of chemical structures and consequently a large variety of functions. Thus, they can play important role in the plants life cycle and are recruited in defense roles especially against pathogens and herbivores. Most of the phytochemical studies have been carried out in adult individuals and the chemical composition of seedlings and chemical changes throughout the plant developmental process is quite often neglected. Is theorized that resources stored in cotyledon and seed reserves contains several metabolites that increases the plant defense until it develops to further stages. In fact, cryptic secondary metabolites are an interesting and an alternative source for new active compounds against pathogens and pests. Additionally, the study during ontogeny can reveal important ecological role involved in specificity of Piper-Eois (Geometridae) interactions. The aim of the work is the study of the profiles of secondary metaboliteuring ontogeny. Specifically, a comparison between three months old seedlings and adults of three species of Piper (P. umbellatum, P. diospyrifolium and P. hemmendorfii) was carried out by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-HRMS analysis and multivariate analysis (PCA, HCA). The Piper species were cultivated under sterile conditions using closed plastic pots in growing chambers, samples were separated by organ (leaf, stem, and root) and grind using liquid nitrogen. HRMS shows he presence of several flavonoid terpene derivatives. Multivariate analysis allows a comparison between species as well as between organs of different ages. While for P. hemmendorfii there was minor differences between adult and seedlings, for P. umbellatum and P. diospyrifolium the differences were significant enough to discriminated the composition in different ages in separated clusters.