Phenolic Compounds as a Tool of Bioindication for Novel Forest Decline at Numerous Spruce Tree Sites in Germany Christine M. Richter, Ulrich Eis, and Aloysius Wild Institut für Allgemeine Botanik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, D-55099 Mainz Z. Naturforsch. 51c, 53-58 (1996); received September 20/0ctober 6, 1995 Phenolic Compounds, Catechin, Novel Forest Decline, Correlations, Picea abies Within a project that applied biochemical criteria to the diagnosis of damage to Norway spruce, 43 sites in western and eastern Germany showing only moderate tree damage were screened for the amounts of methanol soluble phenolic compounds in spruce needles. The concentrations of most of the main compounds - especially catechin - positively correlated with needle loss and the altitude of the site. It was also found that it is necessary to differenti­ ate between trees younger and older than 60 years of age. The correlations between the increase of the phenolic compounds studied and the needle loss or the damage class are stronger in the younger trees, possibly implicating differences in metabolic state or distur­ bances in protectective mechanisms in the older trees. Introduction and their absolute amounts were quantitatively Bioindication studies can be started from dif­ comparable between different sites (Richter and ferent approaches, e.g. cell, organism, and ecosys­ Wild, 1992, 1994). These observations agree with tem. The annual forest damage survey in Germany earlier findings of increased biosynthesis of phe­ evaluates visible symptoms like loss of foliage and nolic compounds in response to various kinds of yellowing and in this way considers the whole or­ stress (Howell, 1974; Tingey et al., 1976; Rubin et ganisms. Biochemical indication refers to events al., 1983; Kicinski et al., 1988). on a cellular level thus providing necessary addi­ Within an extensive research project on various tional information. As physiological changes in re­ appropriate cellular parameters like phosphoenol- sponse to stress can be discovered before symp­ pyruvate carboxylase, mineral nutrients, compo­ toms become visible on the whole organism, this nents of the thylakoid membrane, antioxidants, opens the possibility to diagnose an early impair­ and polyamines and the evaluation of their bioin­ ment of the vitality of a tree. dicative potential, a great number of forest stands Over the last years much research was aimed at mainly in the subalpine mountain ranges in west­ physiological parameters suitable for diagnosis of ern and eastern Germany was screened for the tree damage (e.g. Wild et al., 1990; M U RL, 1993; mentioned phenolic compounds. This paper pres­ Wild et a l, 1994; KfK-PEF, 1994; Wild et al., in ents correlations found between various phenolic press). Among various physiologically reactive compounds and visible symptoms of damage, thus parameters meeting the necessary requirements providing a tool towards a more sophisticated for biom arkers (Tenter and Wild, 1991; Tietz and damage diagnosis. Wild, 1991; Wild and Schmitt, 1994), the amounts of various methanol soluble phenolic com­ Materials and Methods pounds - especially catechin - in spruce needles Description of the sites of the second age class proved a useful indicator because they increased with damage, were con­ Needles were taken from spruce trees of 43 sites stant during the course of the day and the year, in various regions of Germany. Twelve sites are located in eastern Germany, in the Harz Moun­ tains, the Thuringian Forest, and in the Ore Moun­ Abbreviations: DW, dry weight; PTG, piceatannol tains at altitudes between 500 and 750 m above sea glucoside. Reprint requests to Prof. Wild. level. The trees were moderately damaged. Their Telefax: 06131-393787. needle losses amounted to 20-40%, and for each 0939-5075/96/0100-0053 $ 06.00 © 1996 Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung. All rights reserved. D Dieses Werk wurde im Jahr 2013 vom Verlag Zeitschrift für Naturforschung This work has been digitalized and published in 2013 by Verlag Zeitschrift in Zusammenarbeit mit der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der für Naturforschung in cooperation with the Max Planck Society for the Wissenschaften e.V. digitalisiert und unter folgender Lizenz veröffentlicht: Advancement of Science under a Creative Commons Attribution Creative Commons Namensnennung 4.0 Lizenz. 4.0 International License. 54 Ch. M. Richter et al. ■ Bioindication of Forest Decline site average damage classes from 1.3 to 1.9 were acetate buffer (pH 3.3) and methanol, running calculated (for damage classes see Waldschadens- from 17% to 80% methanol. The elutes were de­ erhebung, 1991, 1992). Only the trees of two sites tected and quantitatively determined by measur­ were assigned to average damage classes below 1 . ing UV-absorption at X = 275 nm (Shimadzu). For The age of the chosen trees ranged between 55 details see Richter and Wild (1992). From each and 90 years. The soils of most sites are poor in needle sample three extracts were prepared each nutrients, and the main air pollutant at these sites of which was chromatographed twice. has been sulfur dioxide (Lauchert, 1994). Fig. 1 shows two representative chromatograms The twelve sites studied in Rhineland-Palatinate of the extracted phenolic compounds derived from (Rheinland-Pfalz) are found in the Palatinate For­ sites in the Rothaar Mountains (Northrhine-West­ est, the Hunsrück Mountains, the Westerwald phalia) and in the Thuringian Forest, respectively. Mountains, and in the Eifel Mountains at altitudes between 450 and 700 m above sea level. The age of the trees ranged between 70 and 120 years. Needle Results losses from 9 to 23% were determined resulting in The chromatograms obtained in this study show average damage classes from 0.2 to 1.5 for the similar patterns of methanol-soluble phenolic sites. Apart from a reference site showing almost compounds in spruce needles for all sites studied no damage symptoms, most soils are poor in nutri­ in the various regions of Germany. In Fig. 1 exam­ ents (Lauchert, 1994). ples from two distant regions with even different Nineteen sites were studied in Northrhine-West- air pollution profiles are presented. The main phalia in the Eifel, Rothaar, Ebbe, and Egge compounds detected in significant quantities, Mountains and in the Sauerland at altitudes from which were used in calculations, are picein, cate- 200 to 610 m above sea-level. According to an chin, epicatechin, piceatannol glucoside, and two average damage class assignment of 0 - 0 .8 , the other compounds (retention times 5.5 and 9.1 40-90-year-old trees were only slightly damaged min). (needle loss 0-37%). At these sites nutrient defi­ In relation to needle loss and damage class, the ciencies were also detected (Wild et al., 1994). The latter of which is based on the former, the amounts sites in western Germany are characterized by ele­ of catechin, epicatechin, and the two still uniden­ vated ozone concentrations in the ambient air (ZI- tified compounds (see Richter and Wild, 1992) MEN, 1991; TEM ES, 1991). increase with increasing damage (Tables I and II, Sampling was carried out from the end of Au­ Fig. 2 a). This was not found for picein (Tables I gust to the beginning of September 1991. Needles and II). The sum of all studied phenolic com­ of the second age class (i.e. sprouted in the previ­ pounds, however, also shows a positive correlation ous year) were taken from twelve trees at each site (six trees in Northrhine-Westphalia) and were combined to bulk samples for each site. Needles were frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately at the site and stored at -75 °C. Table I. Coefficients for correlations between the content of phenolic compounds and various parameters based on results obtained from 43 sites (significance levels: * < 0.01; ** < 0.001). Unidentified compounds are Analysis of phenolic compounds characterized by their retention times. Aqueous methanolic extracts (1 g/ml) contain­ Compound/parameter Needle loss Damage class Altitude ing 0.9 mM gallic acid as internal standard were prepared from deep-frozen needles according to Picein 0.3999 0.3486 0.4402* Peak 5.5' 0.5649** 0.5454** 0.5950** Richter and Wild (1992, 1994). The extracts were Catechin 0.6011** 0.6156** 0.7425** purified by filtration and solid phase extraction. Peak 9.1' 0.5293** 0.5339** 0.6838** Epicatechin 0.5364** 0.5531** 0.6424** The analysis of phenolic compounds was carried PTG 0.2541 0.2779 0.5677** out by means of reversed-phase HPLC (LKB, col­ umn RP-18 Macherey-Nagel, Düren) using a four- Sum 0.5638** 0.5767** 0.7264** Sum minus picein 0.5922** 0.6047** 0.7616** step elution gradient composed of 0.5% natrium Ch. M. Richter et al. • Bioindication of Forest Decline 55 Table II. Coefficients for correlations between the Closer examination revealed that the correla­ content of phenolic compounds and needle loss in rela­ tion between the studied phenolic compounds and tion to the age of the trees (for further explanations see Table I). needle loss is linked to the age of the trees, while age itself is not. Table II demonstrates that below the threshold of an age of 60 years there is a Compound/age All sites < 60 Years > 60 Years «=15 sites n= 28 sites stronger correlation between the amounts of most of the phenolic compounds studied and needle loss Picein 0.3999 0.3080 0.4087 Peak 5.5’ 0.5649** 0.7784** 0.4122 than if integrating all trees. Older trees show al­ Catechin 0.6011** 0.7846** 0.4645* most no correlations. Peak 9.1’ 0.5293** 0.6182** 0.4742* Epicatechin 0.5364** 0.8017** 0.3523 PTG 0.2541 0.2984 0.1936 Discussion Sum 0.5638** 0.6713** 0.5059* The pattern of methanol soluble phenolic com­ Sum minus picein 0.5922** 0.7576** 0.4640* pounds in spruce needles at all sites described here agree well with earlier published results for sites in the Black Forest, the Hunsrück and the West­ with the damage symptoms (Tables I and II, erwald Mountains (Richter and Wild, 1992, 1994).