Hydrodistilled essential oils and dichloromethane (DCM) extracted volatiles were taken from cultivated specimens of Prostanthera centralis, endemic to central Australia. All volatiles were chemically characterised by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) with the use of authentic standards, followed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activity of the essen...

Interactions between herbivorous insects and plants storing terpenoids are poorly understood. This study describes the ability of Chrysolina herbacea to use volatiles emitted by undamaged Mentha aquatica plants as attractants and the plant's response to herbivory, which involves the production of deterrent molecules. Emitted plant volatiles were analyzed by GC-MS. The insect's response to plant...

A time vs. volatile decomposition studY was made on commercially available soYbean oil aaed d • '" un er normal laboratory room conditions. Samples were taken at weekly intervals for peroxide v.alue (PV) determinations, organoleptic evaluatIOns and volatile analyses. Volatiles, stripped from the oil samples in an all-glass system devoid of connecting joints, were collected and sealed in attache...

A variety of assays were utilized to determine the effects of Leptospermum petersonii essential oil on both Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Hyphal morphology, susceptibility of spheroplasts and uptake of propidium iodide following exposure to the oil suggest that the mode of action of L. petersonii essential oil is through direct disturbance of the fungal cell membrane. Data also co...

Herbivore-induced plant volatiles have been shown to serve as indirect defence signals that attract natural enemies of herbivores. Parasitoids and predators exploit these plant-provided cues to locate their victims and several herbivores are repelled by the volatiles. Recently, benefits, in terms of plant fitness, from the action of the parasitoids were shown for a few systems. However, the cos...

Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) transport hydrophobic odorants from the environment to odorant receptors and play an important role in specific recognition of volatiles. Here, we expressed and purified a minus-C OBP, BhorOBPm2, from Batocera horsfieldi, a major pest of Popolus, to determine its binding characteristics with 58 candidate volatiles using a fluorescence competition-binding assay. W...

Laurus nobilis L. (sweet laurel) is one of the volatile oil bearing plants of Lauraceae family. It is cultivated in different parts of Iran and its leaves and fruits have been used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. There are a few reports about the effects of some environmental conditions on the quality and quantity of laurel volatiles. The goal of our work was to search the sea...

The Lunar Volatile Resources Analysis Package (L-VRAP) has been conceived to deliver some of the objectives of the proposed Lunar Lander mission currently being studied by the European Space Agency. The purpose of the mission is to demonstrate and develop capability; the impetus is very much driven by a desire to lay the foundations for future human exploration of the Moon. Thus, L-VRAP has des...