INDUCED ISOFLAVONOIDS IN DIVERSE POPULATIONS OF ASTRAGALUS-CICER

Isoflavonoids were induced in mature leaves of the legume Astragalus cicer L. by spores of the fungus Bipolaris zeicola. The five major elicited compounds included two isoflavans (mucronulatol and astraciceran), two isoflavones (cajanin and acicerone), and a pterocarpan (maackiain). Only occasional traces of these compounds were detected in controls. Among 41 populations originating in Europe or Russia, mean total elicited isoflavonoid content differed 12-fold. Mucronulatol was the predominant compound elicited, comprising 20-70% of total isoflavonoids. Significant interpopulational differences existed for each isoflavonoid, but no geographic patterns of total or relative proportions of the five compounds were discernible.