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Anal Bioanal Chem

Title:		Molecular analysis of semen-like odor emitted by chestnut flowers using neutral desorption extractive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry
Author(s):		Zhang X; Ji Y; Zhang Y; Liu F; Chen H; Liu J; Handberg ES; Chagovets VV; Chingin K;
Address:		"Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, 418 Guanglan Road, Nanchang, 330013, Jiangxi, China. National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology named after Academician V.I.Kulakov of Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation. Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, 418 Guanglan Road, Nanchang, 330013, Jiangxi, China. chingin.k@gmail.com"
Journal Title:		Anal Bioanal Chem
Year:		2019
Volume:		20181119
Issue:		18
Page Number:		4103 - 4112
DOI:		10.1007/s00216-018-1487-7
ISSN/ISBN:		1618-2650 (Electronic) 1618-2642 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Knowledge about the chemical composition of floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is valuable in biological studies as well as for the flavor, cosmetic, and fragrance industries. The flowers of Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) emit a distinctive semen-like odor; however, the chemical composition and biological role for the semen-like odor of chestnut flowers remain scarcely studied. Herein, we report the floral VOCs and the pollinators of chestnut flowers. A fast method based on a neutral desorption (ND) device coupled to extractive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (EAPCI-MS) was developed for the rapid identification of VOCs from freshly collected chestnut flowers without any chemical pretreatment. Chemical identification was performed using high-resolution MS analysis in combination with tandem MS analysis and whenever possible was confirmed by the analysis of standard reference compounds. Twenty volatiles were identified, most of which are nitrogen-containing. Out of the identified volatiles, 1-pyrroline is known to have a semen-like odor and is probably also responsible for the semen-like odor of the chestnut flowers. Four nitrogenous VOCs of chestnut flowers, including 1-pyrroline, 1-piperideine, 2-pyrrolidone, and phenethylamine, were also common in other semen-like odor flowers such as Photinia serrulata, Castanopsis sclerophylla, and Stemona japonica, suggesting similar chemical origin. The main visitors of chestnut flowers were dipteran species, such as Eristalis tenax, Eristalis arvorum, Episyrphus balteatus, Lucilia sericata, Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysochus asclepiadeus, and Adalia bipunctata. Our results suggest that the chestnut flowers and other semen-like odor flowers may present a new type of sapromyophily. This study also indicates that ND-EAPCI-MS provides more sensitive and simpler detection of many VOCs (particularly nitrogen-containing VOCs) than GC-MS and therefore can be used to complement traditional approaches for the higher chemical coverage of VOCs analysis. Graphical abstract »aΓ"
Keywords:		Atmospheric Pressure Fagaceae/*chemistry Flowers/*chemistry Mass Spectrometry/*methods Odorants/*analysis Semen/*chemistry Volatile Organic Compounds/*analysis 1-Pyrroline Chestnut flowers Identification Neutral desorption extractive atmospheric pressure;
Notes:		"MedlineZhang, Xiaoping Ji, Yin Zhang, Yi Liu, Fen Chen, Honghan Liu, Jianchuan Handberg, Eric Storr Chagovets, Vitaliy V Chingin, Konstantin eng 16-14-00029/Russian Science Foundation grant/ DHBK2016131/Research Fund of East China University of Technology/ 20152ACB21021/the Science and Technology Planning Project at the Ministry of Science and Technology of Jiangxi Province/ 21605017/National Natural Science Foundation of China/ Germany 2018/11/20 Anal Bioanal Chem. 2019 Jul; 411(18):4103-4112. doi: 10.1007/s00216-018-1487-7. Epub 2018 Nov 19"