Przybylska-Balcerek Anna, Stuper-Szablewska Kinga
Department of Chemistry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland.
Molecules. 2025 Jun 21;30(13):2687. doi: 10.3390/molecules30132687.
English oak () hosts over 200 species of galls formed by insect larvae, most notably the oak gall wasp (). These galls result from the abnormal growth of plant tissue in response to oviposition, acting as a shelter and nutrient source for the larvae. In addition, the galls trigger oxidative stress in the host plant, resulting in the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This stress response promotes the biosynthesis of antioxidant compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins. To our knowledge, this is the first study to monitor seasonal changes in phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins in relation to infestation over a complete vegetation cycle using integrated UPLC profiling and statistical modeling PCA. For the first time, the contents of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins were assessed throughout the vegetation cycle-from flowering to acorn fall. Results showed that galls affect the biochemical profile of the whole plant, suggesting a systemic response to local infection. The results provide new insights into oak defense responses and suggest that gall formation may be associated with systemic metabolic shifts potentially involved in stress mitigation. Furthermore, the study supports the further investigation of oak galls as a valuable source of polyphenols for pharmacological and industrial applications.
英国栎（）上有200多种由昆虫幼虫形成的虫瘿，其中最著名的是栎瘿蜂（）。这些虫瘿是植物组织因产卵而异常生长的结果，为幼虫提供了庇护所和营养来源。此外，虫瘿会引发寄主植物的氧化应激，导致活性氧（ROS）产量增加。这种应激反应促进了抗氧化化合物的生物合成，包括酚酸、黄酮类化合物和单宁。据我们所知，这是第一项使用集成超高效液相色谱分析和统计建模主成分分析（PCA），在完整的植被周期内监测酚酸、黄酮类化合物和单宁与虫害相关的季节性变化的研究。首次在整个植被周期（从开花到橡子掉落）中评估了酚酸、黄酮类化合物和单宁的含量。结果表明，虫瘿会影响整株植物的生化特征，表明对局部感染存在系统性反应。这些结果为栎树的防御反应提供了新的见解，并表明虫瘿的形成可能与潜在参与减轻压力的系统性代谢变化有关。此外，该研究支持进一步研究栎树虫瘿作为多酚的宝贵来源在药理学和工业应用中的价值。
