Volatile compound analysis of ageing Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) seeds

Abstract

The volatile compound profiles of 11 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seed lots were determined by solid phase microextraction combined with GC-MS analysis. Typical monoterpene constituents of pine volatile oils were identified, and total monoterpene content of these seeds was measured semi-quantitatively as peak area. Considerable variation in monoterpene composition was found between seeds of different origin, especially in two major constituents, 3-carene and α-pinene. The relative concentrations of these compounds varied between 0-67 and 16-52%, respectively. Comparison of total monoterpene amounts showed that reduced monoterpene content was typical for aged, poorly germinating seeds. However, high germinability was not always associated with a high monoterpene content. Therefore, no clear dependency between monoterpene content and seed ageing could be established based on this data. The possible protective role of monoterpenes in pine seed ageing during long-term storage is discussed. In addition, a drastic increase in volatile lipid oxidation products was found in the oldest seed lots. In 20 year-old seeds, the percentage of hexanal, an oxidation product of fatty acids, was 3% of the total volatiles, whereas in 31 year-old seeds it was 17%. No hexanal or other lipid oxidation products were detected in younger seeds. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.