Polyisoprenoid Profiling of Mangrove Litters–based Zonations and Salinity Groups in North Sumatra, Indonesia

The polyprenols and dolichols in mangrove litter–based salinity groups and zonations in Lubuk Kertang, North Sumatra, Indonesia, was performed using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Eight sites with twenty-four samples consisting of 0, 2, and 3% salt concentrations and five zonations (Avicennia spp, Bruguiera spp, Nypa fruticans community, Rhizophora spp, and Sonneratia spp) were analyzed. In the zonations, two types concerning the distribution of polyprenols and dolichols were detected. Type-I, showing predominance of dolichols over polyprenols, was observed in Avicennia spp, Bruguiera spp, Nypa fruticans, and Rhizophora spp. Type-II, having both polyprenols and dolichols, was observed in Sonneratia spp. In contrast, no type-I distribution was found in the salinity group. A type-II distribution was also observed in 0, 2, and 3% salt concentrations. The diversity of polyisoprenoid composition in the mangrove litters of salinity groups was noted, whereas dolichols predominated in the zonations (80%). In Avicennia spp litter, dolichols were found to be longer than other types of community litter (Bruguiera spp, Nypa, and Rhizophora spp). These conditions can be caused by leaf litter factors that have different ages and environments. A dendrogram was constructed using the Unweighted-Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) method to confirm these findings. The dendrogram demonstrated that the zonations and salinity groups were generally clustered according to appropriate species and families. The study suggested that dominated dolichols function as chemotaxonomic markers, useful in identifying and classifying mangroves, and in phylogenetic studies