Vertebrate herbivory on Eucalyptus - Identification of specific feeding deterrents for common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) by bioassay-guided fractionation of Eucalyptus ovata foliage

Factors determining the acceptance of Eucalyptus ovata foliage by common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) were studied. Bioassay-guided fractionation was used with foliage from both browser-susceptible and browser-resistant trees to identify the chemical components underlying the resistance. In foliage from browser-resistant trees, the deterrent principles were contained in the base-soluble fraction of the chloroform extract. Further fractionation of this material yielded polar and nonpolar fractions that contained acylphloroglucinol derivatives, and from the polar fraction we isolated macrocarpal G. Addition of this compound to an artificial diet at a concentration of 2.1% of dry matter resulted in a 90% reduction of voluntary food intake compared with solvent-treated controls. This is the first time that a specific compound in Eucalyptus has been shown to inhibit feeding of any marsupial folivore.