Abstract:
Fig volatiles are important medium for chemical communication between figs and fig wasps.Volatile compounds were obtained by the dynamic headspace techniques from the figs of F. auriculata before and after pollination.The chemical components were identified by GC-MS method,and the content of each component was determined by the area normalization and internal standard method,receptively.Fifty-three different volatile organic compounds,predominantly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes,were identified in the receptivity and the postpolliantion.( E)-β -ocimene,linalool,limonene,5-epiprezizaene,khusimene, cis-β -cedrene, α -farnesene and bicyclogermacrene were considered as major candidate for biological activity.The quantity was significantly higher before the pollination than after the pollination.There was obviously mimicry in the volatile quantity,category and constituent for the female figs and male figs.Furthermore,spatial variation of volatile quantity was also found in female figs and male figs.The results provided new insights to understand the stability and chemical maintenance in the obligate fig-wasp mutualism.