The Effect of Volatile Organic Compounds on Different Organisms: Agrobacteria, Plants and Insects

Bacteria and fungi emit a huge variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can provide a valuable arsenal for practical use. However, the biological activities and functions of the VOCs are poorly understood. This work aimed to study the action of individual VOCs on the bacteria , plants, and fruit flies . VOCs used in the work included ketones, alcohols, and terpenes. The potent inhibitory effect on the growth of was shown for 2-octanone and isoamyl alcohol. Terpenes (-)-limonene and (+)-α-pinene practically did not act on bacteria, even at high doses (up to 400 µmol). 2-Butanone and 2-pentanone increased the biomass of at doses of 200-400 μmol by 1.5-2 times; 2-octanone had the same effect at 10 μmol and decreased plant biomass at higher doses. Isoamyl alcohol and 2-phenylethanol suppressed plant biomass several times at doses of 50-100 μmol. Plant seed germination was most strongly suppressed by isoamyl alcohol and 2-phenylethanol. The substantial killing effect (at low doses) on was exerted by the terpenes and the ketones 2-octanone and 2-pentanone. The obtained data showed new information about the biological activities of VOCs in relation to organisms belonging to different kingdoms.