Abstract
The recognition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) involved in insect interactions with plants or other organisms is essential for constructing a holistic comprehension of their role in ecology, from which the implementation of new strategies for pest and disease vector control as well as the systematic exploitation of pollinators and natural enemies can be developed. In the present paper, some of the general methods employed in this field are examined, focusing on their available technologies. An important part of the investigations conducted in this context begin with VOC collection directly from host organisms, using classical extraction methods, by the employment of adsorption materials used in solid-phase micro extraction (SPME) and direct-contact sorptive extraction (DCSE) and, subsequently, analysis through instrumental analysis techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS), which provide crucial information for determining the chemical identity of volatile metabolites. Behavioral experiments, electroantennography (EAG), and biosensors are then carried out to define the semiochemicals with the best potential for performing relevant functions in ecological relationships. Chemical synthesis of biologically-active VOCs is alternatively performed to scale up the amount to be used in different purposes such as laboratory or field evaluations. Finally, the application of statistical analysis provides tools for drawing conclusions about the type of correlations existing between the diverse experimental variables and data matrices, thus generating models that simplify the interpretation of the biological roles of VOCs.
Highlights
The investigation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ecology relies upon highly diversified technologies for improving the cognizance of the interactions between the various living beings that utilize these molecules, such as plants, arthropods, fungi, etc
This technique has been used in several studies such as the detection of VOCs emitted by some plants to be active to Apolygus lucorum [143], the measure of the olfactory response from adults of Carpomya vesuviana to VOCs identified in the fruits of their host [80], and the comparison of the olfactory responses from adult females of Trissolcus basalis, a parasitoid, to floral carboxylic acids from buckwheat, a nectar-providing plant used by the adult female of this parasitoid for feeding [1]
VOCs extracted from Cymbopogon and Eucalyptus on the same beetle [180], the response of the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani Viereck to pheromones obtained by extraction for determining courtship behaviors [181], and the parasitoid Psyttalia concolor response to specific volatiles emitted by host insect-damaged plants [182]; in addition, the analysis of repellent activity of extracts obtained from the beetle Liposcelis bostrychophila on the control of the same species has been evaluated [183]
Summary
The investigation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ecology relies upon highly diversified technologies for improving the cognizance of the interactions between the various living beings that utilize these molecules, such as plants, arthropods, fungi, etc. Insects 2019, 10, 241 by means of metabolomics, which explores the production and concentrations of secondary metabolites from organisms (i.e., metabolomics) and their metabolomes and correlates these variables to biotic activities or environmental conditions [2] This is an extensively developed and systematized branch of knowledge, utilizing a broad range of methods that consider metabolite collection as a function of their properties and origin [3], followed by analytical procedures, including molecular biology and instrumental techniques [4], down to compiled data matrix management using mathematical tools [5]. To comply with these steps of the conventional approach, diverse different tools for sampling and analyzing (detecting/identifying) volatile semiochemicals, as well as and methods, techniques and procedures are required. The study of volatile semiochemicals on insect interactions has required the development of very
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