Volatile components from selected Mexican, Ecuadorian, Greek, German and Japanese liverworts

Abstract

Twenty-one liverworts from Mexico, Ecuador, Greece, Germany and Japan were extracted with diethyl ether and the crude extracts analyzed by TLC and GC/MS. Several volatile sesqui- and diterpenoids, and also bibenzyls were identified. Many of these compounds are important chemical markers of liverworts genus or family. Sacculatane-type diterpene dialdehydes occur in the Pelliaceae family, while bibenzyls, especially with a prenyl group are characteristic of the Japanese Radula perrottetii. Eudesman-type sesquiterpene lactones and pinguisane-type sesquiterpenoids are significant markers of Frullania tamarisci and Trocholejeunea sandvicensis, respectively. The Greek Fossombronia angulosa contained exactly the same compounds previously found in brown algae. Such chemical similarity suggests that some families of liverworts and algae may have an evolutionary relationship.