Biochemical and elemental composition of pollen from different clones of Scots pine

¹Kirov E.I., ²Tarakanov V.V, ³Kukushkina T.A, ¹Chankina O.V., ⁴Kalchenko L.I.

¹Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, SB RAS, Russia, chankina@ns.kinetics.nsc.ru

²West-Siberian Office of the Institute of Forest, SB RAS, Russia, vvtarh@yandex.ru

³Central Siberian Botanical Garden, SB RAS, Russia, root@botgard.nsk.su

⁴Forest Protection Agency for the Altai Krai, Russia, altczl@ab.ru

The use of forest genetic resources implies estimation of genetic heterogeneicity of woody plant populations for different traits, including phytomass chemical composition. Analysis of chemical composition variability of the generative organs of coniferous woody plants is interesting in view of selection for increased concentrations of microelements and physiologically active compounds to be employed for pharmacology and cosmetics. In particular, the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) pollen enjoys much popularity among the population as a general revitalizing remedy alongside with the pollen of insect-опыляемых plants. Our research showed that genetic variability of pine pollen productivity is very pronounced, with clones of “male sexuality” producing up to 30-40 kg of pollen per hectare. However, the variability of chemical composition of this valuable resource has been poorly studied. The main aim of our study was to estimate the interclonal (genotypic) variability of pollen chemical composition of Scots pine clonal plantations in the Middle Ob basin.

The pollen samples for elemental analysis were collected in spring 2005 from the Scots pines of the 25 yo plantation in the Ozersk Forestry of the Altai Krai, Russia. For each of the 17 clones bulked pollen samples were taken. The residual variance was estimated as the intraclonal variance, i.e. the variance between 4 trees of the same clone. Elemental analysis was carried out by the X-ray fluorescence technique with synchrotron radiation (XRFASR) in the Synchrotron Radiation Centre of the Nuclear Physics Institute of SB RAS (Novosibirsk, Russia). The concentration of elements was determined using external reference standards.

The effect of clones on pollen elemental composition was found to be statistically significant for one third of the measured elements, e.g. Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, when clones contributed 72 - 99 % into the total variance. Such elements as K, Ca, Mn, Ni, Br, Rb, Sr, Y displayed no influence of clones, at least for the studied set (N=21).

To analyze the biochemical composition of pollen we chose 3 yellow- and 3 red-anther clones. It should be noted that at the studied plantation the trees with red microstrobili produce mature pollen earlier than the trees with the yellow one, which may have biochemical mechanisms. However, the biochemical analysis of pollen revealed that interclonal variability was much greater that interform one for most of the compounds of interest, such as ascorbic acid, sugars, tannins, flavonoids, catechins, protopectins, saponins, etc. Only organic acid contents showed the opposite pattern.

The main result of the study was that the revealed variability of chemical composition of pollen is of genetic character, and may be used for breeding cultivars for pharmacological and cosmetics purposes. We believe that the studies should be continued to increase the set of samples.

The study was supported by SB RAS Integration grant 5.23.