Chemical correlates of α-tocopherol (Vitamin E) alteredMalacosoma disstria herbivory inFraxinus pennsylvanica var.Subintegerrinia, green ash.

The antioxidant α-tocopherol (vitamin E), applied in a basal trunk band to the green ash tree,Fraxinus pennsylvanica var.subintergerrinia, elicited an alteration of foliar feeding byMalacosoma disstria larvae (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae). The bioassayed effects were dependent on the dosage of elicitor, the time after elicitation, and the position in the tree. Leaves for chemical analysis were collected from trees receiving two dosages and at two intervals after elicitation. Compounds in the ethyl acetate extractables from the ash tree leaves were separated by TLC and HPLC. TLC separations showed differences in the nonhydrolyzed extractables attributable to elicitor dosage and time after elicitation. TLC-resolved differences were also evident among acid-hydrolyzed samples. HPLC-resolved profiles revealed eight peaks in the nonhydrolyzed extractables that were quantitatively negatively correlated with larval feeding preference between elicited versus control foliage on at least one of the two sampling dates. Results from this study and other investigations reported in the literature indicate that the antioxidantα-tocopherol (vitamin E) can function as an environmental-stress elicitor of alterable defensive chemistry in green ash and other plants.