Lipophilic extracts from needles and defoliated twigs of Pinus pumila from two different populations.

Hexane extracts of needles and defoliated twigs of Pinus pumila (Pall.) Regel from two distant populations, located in the southwest and the east (i.e., Lake Baikal region and Sakhalin Island) of the species distribution range were studied by GC/MS analysis. Composition and retention indices of major components were determined. A drastic composition divergence for the extracts of P. pumila needles and defoliated twigs, depending on growth location, was established. Needle extracts from the eastern population sample contained mainly labdane-type acids (anticopalic acid derivatives), whereas the predominant components of needle extracts from the other population sample were abietane-type acids (abietic, neoabietic acids) and isopimarane-type diterpenoids (sandaracopimaric acid, sandaracopimaradien-3β-ol). The main components of defoliated twig extracts from Sakhalin Island population sample were abietane-type acids and cembrane-type diterpenoids, while content of these compounds in the extracts of the southwestern marginal population sample was remarkably lower.