Comparative Analysis of Volatile Compounds in Flowers of Different Actinidia Species.

Agnieszka Stasiak,Piotr Latocha

doi:10.3390/plants9121675

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.

Highlights

Actinidia genus (Actinidia spp.) includes 54 species [1]
Other substances found in A. kolomikta and in a few A. arguta genotypes were alpha-Farnesene, 1,4-Hexadiene, 5-methyl-3-(1-methylethylidene) and a group of esters, with each of these accounting for less than 1%
120 volatile compounds were found in total

Summary

Introduction

Actinidia genus (Actinidia spp.) includes 54 species [1]. only few species and varieties are commercially cultivated, including Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia arguta and Actinidia kolomikta.All actinidia species are dioecious woody vines [2] and come mostly from Asia. Actinidia genus (Actinidia spp.) includes 54 species [1]. Only few species and varieties are commercially cultivated, including Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia arguta and Actinidia kolomikta. All actinidia species are dioecious woody vines [2] and come mostly from Asia. The most popular species, cultivated worldwide, are A. chinensis var. 31% and 37%, respectively, of the total actinidia production), but other species are gaining in importance. A. arguta, known as hardy kiwifruit, kiwiberry or minikiwi, and A. kolomikta, known as super-hardy kiwi, amounting already to 17% and 8% of the total output, respectively [3]. A smooth-skinned, grape-sized fruit, contains a high amount of vitamin C, phenolic compounds and minerals, representing a high antioxidant activity, and a wide range of health benefits [4,5,6,7,8]

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