Comparative Analysis of Volatile Compounds in Flowers of Different Actinidia Species

Abstract

Among the actinidia genus (Actinidia spp.) native to China, few species are grown commercially for their edible and healthy fruits. As they are dioecious plants, a lot of interest is paid to effective pollination and to insects as the most efficient pollinators. In this study we have concentrated on the composition of volatile compounds in male flowers of four different actinidia species (A. chinensis var. deliciosa, A. arguta, A. kolomikta and A. polygama) and on the diversity between male and female flower volatiles for the two most winter-hardy species (A. arguta and A. kolomikta) with growing commercial value. Analyses were provided using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In total, 120 compounds were found in 15 actinidia genotypes. However, the number of identified compounds varied between species. Different main compounds or groups of volatile compounds characterised flowers of every species. Smaller differences were observed between male and female flowers of the same species. Our results suggest that actinidia flowers could be attractive to pollinating insects.

Chemical characterization of mint (Mentha spp.) germplasm from Central Java, Indonesia

“…According to Passa et al (2023), measuring VOCs provides valuable information on the differences in aroma between various strawberry genotypes, enabling the selection of genotypes based on their unique VOC content and volatile stability during the harvest season. Stasiak and Latocha (2020) have identified 120 compounds from 15 Actinidia genotypes. However, the number of identified compounds differed across the various species.…”

Deciphering Plant-Insect-Microorganism Signals for Sustainable Crop Production

“…[ 61 , 62 ], kiwi ( Actinidia spp.) [ 63 ], Citrus spp. [ 64 ], carrot, radish, and Chinese cabbage [ 65 ].…”