Diversity and evolution of Piper, with special reference to chemical component

2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15570088
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Setsunan University
• Principal Investigator: MURATA Hiroko Setsunan University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Associate, 薬学部, 助手 (20167620)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): INATOMI Yuka Setsunan University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Associate, 薬学部, 助手 (00258089) ; MURATA Jin The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science, Professor, 大学院・理学系研究科, 教授 (90134452) ; TANAKA Toshiyuki Gifu Prefectural Institute of Health and Environmental Sciences, Chief Researcher, 主任研究員
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2005
• Keywords: Piperaceae / molecular phylogeny / chemical analysis / Macropiper exelsum / Piper postelsianum / Piper methysticum / Piper flaviflorum / SE Asia

Research Abstract

For comparative morphological studies, molecular phylogeny and chemical analysis on the genus Piper, the herbaria of the California Academy of Science, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Tokyo were visited in August 2004. Munich Botanical Gardens, the Botnical Garden of Bonn University and the Botanical Garden of Dresden Technological University were also visited during July and August 2005. Materials obtained from these institutes as well as those by field researches in various localities of SE Asia and from Kyoto Botanical Garden were used for phylogenetic and chemical analysis. The phylogenetic tree based on the nucleotide variation of nrDNA ITS region shows monophyly of the genus Macropiper including M.(Piper) postelsianum from Ogasawara Is., which is sister to another Clade consisting of Asian species of Piper sensu strict. Piper flaviflorum belonged to the same Clade as P.nigrum. The characteristic chemical components were compared among species using TLC. As the result, the TLC patterns of Macropiper species were very similar to each other. As well as phenylpropoanoids, a kind of kawalactone (dihydromethystichin) was isolated from M.postelsianum, which also suggested close relationship between M.postelsianum and M.methysticum. From P.flaviflorum 26 chemical components were isolated. Major components of this species were acid amide and the proportion of Piperine was relatively high. The acid amide and lignan skeleton found in this species was closest to P.nigrum among the species of Piper examined. These results appear to be consistent to the result of molecular phylogeny.