Deceptive orchids
A team of researchers from Australia has conducted a study into the way in which Drakaea livida (Orchidaceae) is pollinated.
A team of researchers from Australia has conducted a study into the way in which Drakaea livida (Orchidaceae) is pollinated.1
They discovered that the orchid specie deceives the wasp Zaspilothynnus nigripes (Thynnidae) by emitting the same compound, 2-hydroxymethyl-3-(3-methylbutyl)-5-methylpyrazine, that females emit when searching for mates. Gas chromatography–electroantennographic detection (GC–EAD) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were used to isolate this novel pyrazine. The main chemical compounds were separated and identified in the mixture.
The team concluded that this compound may represent the first known case of pyrazines as sex pheromones in Hymenoptera insects.
1. R.A. Barrow et al., Org Lett., 14(10), 2576–2578 (2012).
This story originally appeared in The Column. Click here to view that issue.
Quantifying Terpenes in Hydrodistilled Cannabis sativa Essential Oil with GC-MS
April 21st 2025A recent study conducted at the University of Georgia, (Athens, Georgia) presented a validated method for quantifying 18 terpenes in Cannabis sativa essential oil, extracted via hydrodistillation. The method, utilizing gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with selected ion monitoring (SIM), includes using internal standards (n-tridecane and octadecane) for accurate analysis, with key validation parameters—such as specificity, accuracy, precision, and detection limits—thoroughly assessed. LCGC International spoke to Noelle Joy of the University of Georgia, corresponding author of this paper discussing the method, about its creation and benefits it offers the analytical community.
