Author(s)

Christian Troncoso, Jose Becerra, Claudia Perez, Victor Hernandez, Aurelio San Martin, Manuel Sanchez-Olate, Darcy Rios

Centro de Biotecnologia, Laboratorio de Cultivo de Tejidos Vegetales, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile.
Departamento de Botanica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanograficas, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile.
Departamento de Quimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile.

This study evaluated the expression of defense compounds from the secondary metabolism of Eucalyptus globulus plants, subjected to direct and indirect stimuli by the insect Ctenarytaina eucalypti (blue gum Psyllid). Results showed that defense responses were activated in plants in all tested cases. Were detected and identified thirty-two compounds in the leaves of treated plants, of which five compounds differed with the control, and all are part of the chemical defenses from the plants, three of them were oxygenated monoterpenes (borneol, exo-2-hydroxy cineole and thymol), a aromatic carboxylic acid (benzoic acid) and a quinone (6-acethyl-flaviolin). The plants induced by volatile compounds and by indirect entomological manner, showed its capability to synthesize defensive compounds without a wound that promotes these responses. Were also found some constitutive secondary metabolites over expressed in the different inductions compared with the control.

Chemical Defense; E. globules; Secondary Metabolites; Terpenes

C. Troncoso, J. Becerra, C. Perez, V. Hernandez, A. Martin, M. Sanchez-Olate and D. Rios, "Induction of Defensive Responses in Eucalyptus globulus (Labill) Plants, against Ctenarytaina eucalypti (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)," American Journal of Plant Sciences, Vol. 3 No. 5, 2012, pp. 589-595. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2012.35071.