ENANTIOMERIC COMPOSITION OF MONOTERPENE HYDROCARBONS IN DIFFERENT TISSUES OF NORWAY SPRUCE, PICEA-ABIES (L) KARST - A MULTIDIMENSIONAL GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY STUDY

The enantiomeric composition of seven chiral monoterpene hydrocarbons in Picea abies (L.) Karst. has been determined using a multi-dimensional GC-system with one DB-WAX and two permethylated beta-cyclodextrin capillary columns. Different tissues, e.g. xylem of trunk and branch, phloem, oleoresin of branch, and needles were analyzed. The relative amounts and enantiomeric ratios of the monoterpene hydrocarbons differed considerably between different tissues. However, (+)- and (-)-alpha-pinene and (-)-beta-pinene were the main compounds in all tissues except in the needles, where (-)-camphene predominated, followed by (-)-alpha-pinene and (-)-limonene. On the average, the constituents of the phloem and oleoresin had a higher enantiomeric purity than those of the xylem and needles. Turpentine from thermo-mechanical pulping (TMP) of Norway spruce wood was also analyzed and the composition of the monoterpene hydrocarbon fraction as well as the enantiomeric ratios were found to be similar to the average of the values obtained from the xylem samples. The importance of the chiral composition of the monoterpenes as a base for biological and biosynthetic considerations is discussed.