Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2010, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (4): 462-468.DOI: 10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.04.012

• Research Communications • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of main volatile organic compounds and study of aboveground structures in Artemisia frigida

ZUO Zhao-Jiang1,3, ZHANG Ru-Min2, WANG Yong1, HOU Ping2, WEN Guo-Sheng2, GAO Yan2,3,*()   

  1. 1College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
    2School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Forestry College, Lin’an, Zhejiang 311300, China
    3College of Agronomy, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot 010019, China
  • Received:2009-09-16 Accepted:2009-11-24 Online:2010-09-16 Published:2010-04-01
  • Contact: GAO Yan

Abstract:

Aims Special volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released from Artemisia frigida in its growth, and the smell of VOCs is stronger when it is damaged. Our objective was to determine the VOCs from A. frigida and the relationship between the VOCs release and organization structure of A. frigida.

Methods VOCs were collected using the dynamic headspace air-circulation method and analyzed with the thermal-desorption cold trap/gas chromatography/mass spectrum (TCT/GC/MS). The coat hairs of A. frigida were observed with scanning electron microscope, and the paraffin section of aboveground structures was observed with microscope.

Important findings Twenty-two main compounds were identified in undamaged A. frigida: camphene (14.27%), (E)-3-hexen-1-ol,acetate (10.85%), p-cymene (9.05%), eucalyptol (39.80%), α-terpineol (10.04%), β-terpineol (2.48%), camphor (5.66%) and (R)-(-)-p-menth-1-en-4-ol (3.84%). Twelve kinds of VOCs increased with damage; those with a relative content > 1% were cis-3-Hexenal (1.15%), 2-Pentenal (1.34%), cis-Geraniol (2.66%), Borneol (4.47%), (1R,4R)-(+)-p-Mentha-2,8-diene (9.15%), Bornyl acetate (1.37%) and Eudesma-4(14),11-diene (1.30%). There were many palisade tissues in A. frigida blades, 2-3 palisade tissues in petioles, and many air chambers in palisade tissue connected with stoma. The kinds and relative content of damaged A. frigida VOCs were more than the undamaged, possibly because A. frigida VOCs were stored in air chambers, which were released when A. frigida was damaged, and some new VOCs were composed and released. Therefore, the kinds and content of VOCs were increased in damaged A. frigida.

Key words: aboveground structure, Artemisia frigida, component analysis, volatile organic compounds