Profile of Terpenoid Compounds Mediating a Plant-Herbivore Interaction: Screening by Static Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography/Q-ToF Mass Spectrometry

Chem Biodivers. 2020 Nov;17(11):e2000564. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.202000564. Epub 2020 Nov 2.

Abstract

Conotrachelus dimidiatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) interacts with immature guava fruits (Psidium guajava L.) for feed, sleep, mate and oviposit. Determination of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the insect and immature fruits can help improve understanding of plant-insect and intraspecific insect interactions between females and males of C. dimidiatus. Daytime fruit setting emissions of immature guava consist mainly of limonene, caryophyllene, and aromadendrene. In addition to the host's volatiles, the aim of this study was to assess the VOCs released by the insect. Static headspace-solid phase microextraction (SHS-SPME), combined with gas chromatography/quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (GC/Q-ToF-MS), allowed the identification of the C10 terpenoids: grandlure I, II, II, IV, grandisoic acid, papayanol and papayanal bioactive compounds released by female and male C. dimidiatus under laboratory conditions. These chemical compounds are candidates for the preparation of a lure formulation.

Keywords: Conotrachelus dimidiatus; Psidium guajava; extraction; headspace; insect; pheromones, semiochemicals; terpenoids.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Fruit / chemistry
  • Fruit / metabolism
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Herbivory
  • Male
  • Pheromones / chemistry
  • Pheromones / isolation & purification
  • Pheromones / pharmacology
  • Psidium / chemistry*
  • Psidium / metabolism
  • Sexual Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Solid Phase Microextraction
  • Terpenes / analysis
  • Terpenes / chemistry*
  • Terpenes / isolation & purification
  • Terpenes / pharmacology
  • Volatile Organic Compounds / analysis
  • Volatile Organic Compounds / chemistry
  • Volatile Organic Compounds / isolation & purification
  • Weevils / chemistry
  • Weevils / physiology*

Substances

  • Pheromones
  • Terpenes
  • Volatile Organic Compounds