Impact of Cameraria ohridella infestation on the chemical composition of Aesculus glabra leaves in Dnipro city, Ukraine
Abstract
This study investigated changes in the metabolic profile of Aesculus glabra leaves in response to i n festation by the horse chestnut leaf miner ( Cameraria ohridella ) in Dnipro city, Ukraine. Methanolic leaf extracts from uninfested and infested trees were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Infestation by C. ohridella was associated with substantial metabolic restructuring, reflected by a marked reduction in the number of detected metabolites from 114 in uninfested leaves to 62 in infested leaves. The most pronounced changes were observed among carbohydrate-related compounds, indicating major alterations in carbon metabolism under herbivory stress. Increased relative abundances of sucrose, trehalose, mannobiose, catechin, and several fatty acid derivatives were detected in infested leaves, wher e as multiple organic acids, terpenoid-related compounds, and sterols decreased in abundance or disappeared entirely. In addition, several metabolites, including quercetin, neophytadiene, monopalmitin, β-sitosterol, and hexatriacontane, were detected exclusively in infested leaves and may be associated with induced stress and defense responses. Conversely, compounds such as chlorogenic acid, α-linolenic acid, and β-tocopherol were detected only in uninfested leaves. The results demonstrate extensive metabolic reorgan i zation of A. glabra leaves under C. ohridella infestation and highlight the potential role of specialized metabolites in herbivory-related stress responses.References
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