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Forests
Special Issues
Advances in Plant VOCs and Their Ecological Functions
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Advances in Plant VOCs and Their Ecological Functions

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetics and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 4212

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhaojiang Zuo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University, Wusu Road 666, Hangzhou 311300, China
Interests: plant VOCs; plant stress physiology; allelopathy; secondary metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sarathi Weraduwage

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departments of Biology/Biochemistry, Bishop's University, 2600 Rue College, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 1Z7, Canada
Interests: plant physiology; plant VOCs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants synthesize an abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through secondary metabolic pathways. These VOCs include several types, such as terpenoids, aromatic compounds, fatty acid derivatives, etc. The biosynthetic pathways of most VOC types in plants have been well studied. However, unraveling the mechanisms through which environmental factors control the biosynthesis of VOCs is essential to understand (1) how plants respond to environmental variations and (2) the impact of VOCs on atmospheric chemistry. In ecosystems, plant VOCs serve important functions, such as improving emitter tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, and transferring important information to neighboring organisms. At present, researchers are in hot pursuit of uncovering the signaling mechanisms and specific functions of VOCs and mechanisms through which VOCs protect plants against abiotic and biotic stresses. Plant VOCs with fragrance create a relaxing and comforting environment for humans, and many VOCs have also exhibited pharmaceutical properties. Further studies will help reveal how plant VOCs with medicinal properties can be used to improve human health and wellbeing. Other plant VOCs volatilize into the atmosphere and participate in aerosol formation through a series of chemical reactions. Aerosols, too, can significantly affect human health.

In this context, we are proposing a new Special Issue titled “Advances in Plant VOCs and Their Ecological Functions”. This Special Issue welcomes the submission of original research and review manuscripts focusing on the above topics, with research objectives focusing on forests, forest ecology and management.

Prof. Dr. Zhaojiang Zuo
Dr. Sarathi Weraduwage
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aerosol formation
  • biochemical control of VOC synthesis and emission
  • ecological function
  • human health
  • signal transfer
  • VOC measurements and remote sensing

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1795 KiB  
Article
Using Headspace Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry to Investigate the Volatile Terpenoids Released from the Liquidambar formosana Leaf and Its Essential Oil
by Yu-Yi Chang, Yu-Mei Huang and Hui-Ting Chang
Forests 2024, 15(9), 1495; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15091495 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 836
Abstract
Phytoncides and aromatherapy scents mainly derive from plant secondary metabolites and are now well known for their health benefits. In this study, we analyzed the chemical composition of the leaf-derived essential oil of Liquidambar formosana (Altingiaceae) using GC-MS; we also investigated the VOCs [...] Read more.
Phytoncides and aromatherapy scents mainly derive from plant secondary metabolites and are now well known for their health benefits. In this study, we analyzed the chemical composition of the leaf-derived essential oil of Liquidambar formosana (Altingiaceae) using GC-MS; we also investigated the VOCs released from L. formosana leaves and the leaf essential oil at different temperatures by means of headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS). Regarding the VOCs of the leaves, monoterpenes predominated the VOCs at both temperatures, mainly comprising sabinene, followed by γ-terpinene, α-terpinene, and α-pinene. The intensity of the leaf VOCs at 50 °C was nearly three times higher than that at 25 °C; the emission of monoterpenes significantly increases at higher environmental temperatures. The VOC emissions of oxygenated monoterpenes from the leaf essential oil increased at higher temperatures (50 °C), especially those of terpinen-4-ol. Our results reveal that HS-GC-MS can be used to conveniently and directly analyze the VOCs emitted from L. formosana leaves and their essential oils and to evaluate the influence of temperature on the composition of the VOCs of specimens. These VOC studies will assist in the sustainable development and utilization of L. formosana trees for forest therapy, as well as the use of their leaf essential oil for aromatherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant VOCs and Their Ecological Functions)
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14 pages, 4223 KiB  
Article
Urban–Rural Comparisons of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds and Ground-Level Ozone in Beijing
by Peipei Guo, Yuebo Su, Xu Sun, Chengtang Liu, Bowen Cui, Xiangyu Xu, Zhiyun Ouyang and Xiaoke Wang
Forests 2024, 15(3), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030508 - 8 Mar 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1578
Abstract
Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution has been a severe environmental and health problem for decades. The importance of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in the formation of tropospheric photochemistry O3 has been highlighted, especially in areas of rapid urbanization. We conducted [...] Read more.
Ground-level ozone (O3) pollution has been a severe environmental and health problem for decades. The importance of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in the formation of tropospheric photochemistry O3 has been highlighted, especially in areas of rapid urbanization. We conducted simultaneous measurements of trace gases, including NO, NOX, O3, and BVOCs (i.e., isoprene and α-pinene), in the urban and rural forest areas of Beijing to determine the relationships between them. The results highlight the differences between the urban and rural forest areas of Beijing in terms of ambient air concentrations of BVOCs and O3, and the interrelationships between BVOCs, NOX, and ozone were quantified. Moreover, the isoprene concentration was found to be higher in the atmosphere of the urban site than of the rural site, which had higher α-pinene concentrations and higher O3 concentrations. The NOX concentration was higher at the urban site than at the rural site, and there was a significant exponential relationship between NOX and O3 at the urban site, indicating that the impact of NOx on O3 at the urban site was greater than that at the rural site. The O3 concentration increased with rising isoprene and α-pinene in both sites. In the case of substantially increased BVOC concentrations, declining NOX concentrations strongly promote the formation of O3. Consideration should be given to planting tree species with low-BVOC emissions, as they are crucial for mitigating O3 pollution in urban areas. Additionally, the relationships between BVOCs, NOX, and O3 should be considered in policymaking related to O3 control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant VOCs and Their Ecological Functions)
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15 pages, 4849 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Physiological Responses of Cinnamomum camphora with Monoterpene Protection under High Temperature Shock
by Yingying Wang, Qixia Qian, Haozhe Xu and Zhaojiang Zuo
Forests 2023, 14(10), 2005; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14102005 - 6 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1312
Abstract
Monoterpenes can protect plants against high temperature, but the early events of protection are still unknown. In this study, the dynamic variations in reactive oxygen species metabolism, photosynthetic capacity, and related gene expression in linalool, eucalyptol, and camphor chemotypes of Cinnamomum camphora with [...] Read more.
Monoterpenes can protect plants against high temperature, but the early events of protection are still unknown. In this study, the dynamic variations in reactive oxygen species metabolism, photosynthetic capacity, and related gene expression in linalool, eucalyptol, and camphor chemotypes of Cinnamomum camphora with and without monoterpene emission under 6 h high-temperature stress were investigated. With respect to the control (28 °C), 40 °C and Fos + 40 °C (fosmidomycin inhibited monoterpene biosynthesis under 40 °C) treatments increased H2O2 and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels in the three chemotypes, but without significant differences between the two treatments after 2 h. Compared with the 40 °C treatment, the Fos + 40 °C treatment further aggravated the increase after 4 h, with increases of 13.8%, 12.3%, and 12.3% in H2O2 levels as well as 16.5%, 17.4%, and 9.1% in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels, respectively, in linalool, eucalyptol, and camphor chemotypes. When the three chemotypes were treated with 40 °C and Fos + 40 °C, the ascorbic acid content was gradually decreased during the 2 h treatment. After 4 h, the Fos + 40 °C treatment further aggravated the decrease in ascorbic acid content, with decreases of 10.6%, 9.8%, and 20.1%, respectively, in the eucalyptol, linalool, and camphor chemotypes. This could be caused by the further down-regulation of the key gene GGP in antioxidant biosynthesis. Meanwhile, two genes (VTE3 and 4CL) in other non-enzymatic antioxidant formation were also further down-regulated in Fos + 40 °C treatment for 4 h. These might lead to the further increase in reactive oxygen species levels in Fos + 40 °C treatment lacking non-enzymatic antioxidants. The photosynthetic electron yield and transfer (φPo, Ψo and φEo) in the three chemotypes were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased under the 40 °C and Fos + 40 °C treatments for 0.5 h, and the photosynthetic rate was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in the two treatments for 1 h. After 4 h, the Fos + 40 °C treatment aggravated the decrease, as the genes encoding the components of photosystem II (psbP and psbW) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcS and rbcL) were further down-regulated. These dynamic variations in the early events suggested that monoterpenes should act as signaling molecules to improve plant thermotolerance, as blocking monoterpene biosynthesis did not cause immediate effects on the physiological responses in contrast to the monoterpene-emitting plants during the 2 h high temperature stress, but resulted in serious damages after 4 h for suppressing related gene expression. This not only provides new proof for the isoprenoid thermotolerance mechanism by serving a signaling function, but also promotes the utilization of monoterpenes as anti-high-temperature agents, and the cultivation of high-temperature tolerance varieties with abundant monoterpene emission. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Plant VOCs and Their Ecological Functions)
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