20892

Use of CLSA and SPME-Headspace Techniques Followed by GC-MS Analysis to Extract and Identify the Floral Odorants

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Flowers of Ziziphus spina christi are known to be attractive for parasitoids and predators. In Y-tube olfactometer experiments, the dried flowers attracted significantly (p<0.001) the female parasitoids Aphelinus abdominalis. The flower volatile compounds were analyzed to understand which compounds could be specifically responsible for this attractiveness. The volatile compounds of Ziziphus flowers were extracted by closed-loop-strippiug-analysis (CLSA) and also by solid phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The main chemical classes of the volatile compounds are aldehydes, monoterpene-alcohols, ketones and hydrocarbons. Flower extract and some specific compounds will be further tested for their responsiveness to predators and parasitoids in behavioural and electrophysiological experiments.

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