Sarracenia alata (Alph.Wood) Alph.Wood Microcuttings as a Source of Volatiles Potentially Responsible for Insects' Respond

Rare carnivorous plants representing the genus Sarracenia are perceived as very interesting to scientists involved in various fields of botany, ethnobotany, entomology, phytochemistry and others. Such high interest is caused mainly by the unique capacity of Sarracenia spp. to attract insects. Therefore, an attempt to develop a protocol for micropropagation of the Sarracenia alata (Alph.Wood) Alph.Wood, commonly named yellow trumpets, and to identify the specific chemical composition of volatile compounds of this plant in vitro and ex vivo was undertaken. Thus, the chemical volatile compounds excreted by the studied plant to attract insects were recognized with the application of the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with the GC-MS technique. As the major volatile compounds (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol (16.48% +/- 0.31), (E)-3-hexen-1-ol acetate (19.99% +/- 0.01) and beta-caryophyllene (11.30% +/- 0.27) were identified. Further, both the chemical assumed to be responsible for attracting insects, i.e., pyridine (3.10% +/- 0.07), and whole plants were used in in vivo bioassays with two insect species, namely Drosophila hydei and Acyrthosiphon pisum. The obtained results bring a new perspective on the possibilities of cultivating rare carnivorous plants in vitro since they are regarded as a valuable source of bioactive volatile compounds, as including ones with repellent or attractant activity.

Automated summary

Rare carnivorous plants of the genus Sarracenia are highly interesting to scientists in various fields due to their unique capacity to attract insects. This study focused on developing a micropropagation protocol for Sarracenia alata and identifying its specific chemical composition of volatile compounds. The research confirmed the presence of major volatile compounds responsible for attracting insects and showed the potential for cultivating rare carnivorous plants in vitro for bioactive compounds.