Chemical mimicry in the corpse flower: Floral odor and phytochemical profiles of Amorphophallus titanum (Becc.) Becc.

Abstract

Amorphophallus titanum (Becc.) Becc., commonly known as titan arum, corpse flower or carrion flower, is famous for having the largest inflorescence in the world. In addition to mimicking rotting meat with its flesh-colored floral parts and thermogenesis features, the bloom produces a variety of odorous chemical compounds that give the inflorescence its characteristic rotting animal smell when blooming, in order to attract a specific group of pollinators. This study analyses the volatile chemical profiles of the odors emitted during various stages of blooming. The floral odor samples were collected at different times of the bloom using HS-SPME fibers, and the samples were analyzed by GC/Q-ToF. A total of 66 volatile compounds were identified in the bloom, representing 31.62–96.92% of the volatile composition. Several malodorous compounds were detected, including trimethylamine, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, dimethyl tetrasulfide, and indole. We also analyzed the non-volatile phytochemical constituents of various floral and vegetative organs of the plant for the first time using LC/Q-ToF and identified 40 compounds, including flavonoids, anthocyanins, amino acids, xanthones, C-glycosylflavones, and organic acids in different organs of the plant. The main constituents of anthocyanins were cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside. Leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and methionine were the major amino acids found in the plant's organs. We observed that A. titanum emits distinct odor compounds from different parts of the inflorescence at various stages of blooming.