Emissions of oxygenated volatile organic compounds from plants - part I: Emissions from lipoxygenase activity

Emissions of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOC) from several plant species were measured in continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR). High emission pulses of OVOCs were observed when plants were exposed to stress. Absolute emission rates were highly variable ranging up to 10(-13) mol.cm(-2).s(-1). The temporal shape of these emissions was described by a formalism similar to that of a consecutive reaction of pseudo first order kinetics. The main emitted OVOC was (Z)-3-hexenol together with other C(6)-aldehydes and alcohols, suggesting that lipoxygenase activity on linolenic acid was mainly responsible for OVOC production. Various stress factors induced lipoxygenase activity and subsequent emissions of OVOCs. These factors were exposure to high ozone concentrations, pathogen attack, and wounding. The pattern of OVOC emissions from tobacco was similar for different stress applications and the same products of lipoxygenase activity were emitted from all investigated plant species. Our results imply that these emissions occur as general response of the plants to stress. Since plants experience various abiotic or biotic stress factors in the environment, OVOC emissions as a response to stress are likely to be of significant importance for atmospheric chemistry.