Assessing the Floral Volatile Constituents of Male and Female Rafflesia Kerri Meijer from Lojing Highlands, Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Rafflesia kerri Meijer is a gigantic parasitic flowering species, endemic in Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand. The flower reported to emit a foul smell, mimicking rotten meat to attract pollinators from the Calliphoridae to visit the male and female flower. Beside the olfactory factor, the visual display with red brownish tinge colour and the enormous size believed to act as secondary attractant in luring the pollinators. However, the study of pollination biology on this species remain limited and information obtained scanty. Herein, this study was aimed to evaluate the presence of chemical compounds by qualitative phytochemical analysis and screen the floral volatile constituents (FVCs) emitted through Head Space – Solid Phase Microextraction – Gas Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The phytochemical screening of both extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, triterpenoids/steroids, flavonoids and tannins, whereas the tentative floral volatile constituents (FVCs) identified were from various chemical classes such as long chain hydrocarbon, organosilicon compound, primary alcohol, aromatic acid as well as miscellaneous compound. The finding suggests that the presence of phytochemical compounds and combination of vast floral volatile constituents identified are believed to contribute in scent emission and attract the pollinators to visit the flower.