Chemical Ecology of Teak (Tectona grandis Linn.) Floral Volatiles

In present work, the GC, GC-MS and GC-olfactory techniques were applied for the first time for theanalysis of floral volatiles of teak. Chemical ecology of the teak flower is also studied by correlatingeach of the components in its volatile profile with the major classes of insect visitors and pollinatorswith the help of the internet databases. Sixty six components consisting of 84% of the oil were identifiedin the GC-MS analysis. Out of these 78% were oxygenated compounds while only 20% were varioushydrocarbons, either sesquiterpenes or diterpenes. All the monoterpenes were in the oxidized formwhich reduces the therapeutic potentials of the oil while improving its perfumery value. The olfactoryevaluation of the oil revealed the presence of a wide spectrum of impressions ranging from spicy-floralto mushroom-metallic and woody-earthy to honey-like. The main reason for the enormous number ofinsects visiting teak flower is the presence of large number of volatile compounds with divergesemiochemical behaviour. At the same time the presence of some specific allomones and alarmpheromones results in the repulsion of some effective pollinators. This leads to ineffective pollinationand comparatively low fruit development in teak.