Volatile Characterization of Lychee Plant Tissues (Litchi chinensis) and the Effect of Key Compounds on the Behavior of the Lychee Erinose Mite (Aceria litchii).

Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles (HIPVs) are volatile signals emitted by plants to deter herbivores and attract their natural enemies. To date, it is unknown how lychee plants, Litchi chinensis, respond to the induction of leaf galls (erinea) caused by the lychee erinose mite (LEM), Aceria litchii. Aiming to reveal the role of HIPVs in this plant-mite interaction, we investigated changes in the volatile profile of lychee plants infested by LEM and their role on LEM preferences. The volatile profile of uninfested (flower buds, fruit, leaves and new leaf shoots) and infested plant tissue were characterized under different levels of LEM infestation. Volatiles were collected using head-space-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. Fifty-eight volatiles, including terpenoids, alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, esters, and ketones classes were identified. Using dual-choice bioassays, we investigated the preference of LEM to uninfested plant tissues and to the six most abundant plant volatiles identified. Uninfested new leaf shoots were the most attractive plant tissues to LEM and LEM attraction or repellence to volatiles were mostly influenced by compound concentration. We discuss possible applications of our findings in agricultural settings.

The Effect of Ozone Treatment on Metabolite Profile of Germinating Barley.

Ozone is widely used to control pests in grain and impacts seed germination, a crucial stage in crop establishment which involves metabolic alterations. In this study, dormancy was overcome through after-ripening (AR) in dry barley seed storage of more than 4 weeks; alternatively, a 15-min ozone treatment could break the dormancy of barley immediately after harvest, with accelerated germination efficiency remaining around 96% until 4 weeks. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and liquid absorption coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were utilized for metabolite profiling of 2-, 4- and 7-day germinating seeds. Metabolic changes during barley germination are reflected by time-dependent characteristics. Alcohols, fatty acids, and ketones were major contributors to time-driven changes during germination. In addition, greater fatty acids were released at the early germination stage when subjected to ozone treatment.

Analysis of volatile components of the different Jiuwei Qianghuo preparations by HS-SPME-GC-MS and principal component analysis / 国际药学研究杂志

Objective: To analyze and compare the volatile components of Jiuwei Qianghuo pills, granules and oral liquid. Methods: The volatile components of Jiuwei Qianghuo pills, granules and oral liquid were analyzed and compared by the head-space solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-SPME-GC-MS), the relative percentage of each component was calculated using the area normalization method, and the principal component analysis was also performed. Results: A total of 90 kinds of volatile components were identified from Jiuwei Qianghuo pills, accounting for 97.19% of the total volatile components; 27 kinds of volatile components were identified from Jiuwei Qianghuo granules, accounting for 92.92% of the total volatile components;22 kinds of volatile components were identified from Jiuwei Qianghuo oral liquid, accounting for 87.60% of the total volatile components. A total of 111 volatile components were identified in the three preparations, of which 6 were common components, but the contents of the common components were different. The specific components of the pills, granules and oral liquid were 68, 8 and 13, respectively. Moreover, the comprehensive scores of the three dosage forms in the principal component analysis showed a large difference, with the high, middle and low values for the pills, granules and oral liquid, respectively. Conclusion: The composition and content of volatile components were different in the Jiuwei Qianghuo pill, granule and oral liquid preparations. From the point of view of the volatility, the comprehensive score of Jiuwei Qianghuo pills is higher than that of granules and oral liquid.

Aroma volatile analyses and 2AP characterization at various developmental stages in Basmati and Non-Basmati scented rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars.

BACKGROUND: Rice plant growth is comprised of distinct phases, such as vegetative, reproductive, grain filling and maturity phases. In these phases synthesis and availability of primary and secondary metabolites including volatile organic compounds (VOC's) is highly variable. In scented rice, aroma volatiles are synthesized in aerial plant parts and deposited in mature grains. There are more than 100 VOCs reported to be responsible for flavor in basmati rice. It will be interesting to keep track of aroma volatiles across the developmental stages in scented rice. Therefore, the aroma volatiles contributing in aroma with special reference to the major compound 2 acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) were screened at seven developmental stages in scented rice cultivars Basmati-370 and Ambemohar-157 along with non-scented rice cultivar IR-64 as a control following HS-SPME-GC-MS method. In addition, the expression levels of key genes and precursor levels involved in 2AP biosynthesis were studied. RESULTS: The study indicated that volatilome of scented rice cultivars is more complex than non-scented rice cultivar. N-heterocyclic class was the major distinguishing class between scented from non-scented rice. A total of 14 compounds including, 2AP were detected specifically in scented rice cultivars. Maximum number of compounds were synthesized at seedling stage and decreased gradually at reproductive and maturity. The seedling stage is an active phase of development where maximum number green leaf volatiles were synthesized which are known to act as defense molecules for protection of young plant parts. Among the 14 odor active compounds (OACs), 10 OACs were accumulated at higher concentrations significantly in scented rice cultivars and contribute in the aroma. 2AP content was highest in mature grains followed by at booting stage. Gene expression analysis revealed that reduced expression of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (badh2) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and elevated level of triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) and Δ1-Pyrolline-5-carboxylic acid synthetase (P5CS) transcript enhances 2AP accumulation. CONCLUSIONS: Most diverse compounds were synthesized at seedling stage and OACs were accumulated more at flowering followed by seedling stage. Distinct accumulation pattern exists for 2AP and other aroma volatiles at various developmental stages. The study revealed the mechanism of 2AP accumulation such that 2AP in mature grains might be transported from leaves and stem sheath and accumulation takes place in grains.

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for the determination of nitrosamines in red wine.

N-nitrosamines (NAms) are highly active carcinogens that have been detected in food and beverages. Currently certain studies report their presence in red wine, while others fail to detect their presence. In this study the head space solid phase micro-extraction technique coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) was applied to quantify four NAms in different types of red wine. The technique was found to be a simple, precise, fast and environmentally friendly alternative for the quantification of volatile NAms. A factorial analysis was carried out to evaluate the influence of the parameters on the HS-SPME technique. This is the first study that such analysis has been reported and where NAms in red wine have been quantified using HS-SPME-GC-MS. The method was validated by calculating the linearity, limit of detection and quantification. Two of the four NAms analyzed were found to be present in red wine samples.

Identification and quantification of seven volatile n-nitrosamines in cosmetics using gas chromatography/chemical ionization-mass spectrometry coupled with head space-solid phase microextraction.

An analytical method was developed for the identification and quantification of seven volatile n-nitrosamines (n-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA], n-nitrosoethylmethylamine [NMEA], n-nitrosodiethylamine [NDEA], n-nitrosodipropylamine [NDPA], n-nitrosodibutylamine [NDBA], n-nitrosopiperidine [NPIP], and n-nitrosopyrrolidine [NPYR]) in water insoluble cream type cosmetics. It was found that the head space-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) was suitable for extraction, clean up, and pre-concentration of n-nitrosamines in the cream type samples so its optimal conditions were investigated. Identification and quantification of n-nitrosamines using single quadrupole gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in chemical ionization (CI) mode were carried out with accurate mass measurements. Their accurate masses of protonated molecular ions were obtained within 10 mDa of the theoretical masses when sufficiently high signal was acquired from the unique calibration method using mass and isotope accuracy. For the method validation of quantification, spiking experiments were carried out to determine the linearity, recovery, and method detection limit (MDL) using three deuterated internal standards. The average recovery was 79% within 20% relative standard deviation (RSD) at the concentration of 50 ng/g. MDLs ranged from 0.46 ng/g to 36.54 ng/g, which was satisfactory for the directive limit of 50 ng/g proposed by the European Commission (EC). As a result, it was concluded that the method could be provided for the accurate mass screening, confirmation, and quantification of n-nitrosamines when applied to cosmetic inspection.