Vertebrate herbivory on Eucalyptus: identification of specific feeding deterrents for common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) by bioassay-guided fractionation of Eucalyptus ovata foliage

Factors determining the acceptance of Eucalyptus ovata foliage by common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) were studied. Bioassay-guided fractionation was used with foliage from both browser-susceptible and browser-resistant trees to identify the chemical components underlying the resistan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical ecology 1998-09, Vol.24 (9), p.1513-1527
Main Authors: Pass, D.M. (James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.), Foley, W.J, Bowden, B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ANTIFEEDANTS
Bioassays
Biological and medical sciences
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Chloroform
COMPORTEMENT ALIMENTAIRE
COMPOSICION QUIMICA
COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE
DIDELPHIDAE
Dry matter
EUCALYPTUS OVATA
FEEDING HABITS
Foliage
Fractionation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
HABITOS ALIMENTARIOS
HERBIVORE
HERBIVORES
HERBIVOROS
Herbivory
INHIBIDORES DEL APETITO
METABOLITE
METABOLITES
METABOLITOS
OPOSSUM
OPOSSUMS
PHAGOREPULSIF
Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection
Pseudocheirus peregrinus
SECONDARY METABOLITES
TERPENOIDE
TERPENOIDOS
TERPENOIDS
Vertebrates
ZARIGUEYA
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Summary:Factors determining the acceptance of Eucalyptus ovata foliage by common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) were studied. Bioassay-guided fractionation was used with foliage from both browser-susceptible and browser-resistant trees to identify the chemical components underlying the resistance. In foliage from browser-resistant trees, the deterrent principles were contained in the base-soluble fraction of the chloroform extract. Further fractionation of this material yielded polar and nonpolar fractions that contained acylphloroglucinol derivatives, and from the polar fraction we isolated macrocarpal G. Addition of this compound to an artificial diet at a concentration of 2.1% of dry matter resulted in a 90% reduction of voluntary food intake compared with solvent-treated controls. This is the first time that a specific compound in Eucalyptus has been shown to inhibit feeding of any marsupial folivore
ISSN:0098-0331
1573-1561
DOI:10.1023/A:1020911800847