Plant Volatile Analysis

Book excerpt: The book covers a vast array of methods for the analysis of volatile compounds exuded by plants. Some of these volatiles are of great commercial importance, including the aromas of wines and teas, and volatiles in fruits. Other volatiles such as essential oils can be useful for chemotaxonomic purposes, and a chapter on an emerging method, that of chemometric analysis of such data, is included. Isoprene and ammonia rarely find a place in analytical methods presented for plant materials, but methods for these volatiles are described in this book. The volatiles given off by flowers are also included, and in situ headspace analysis of these volatiles is described, a method of potential use for the study of insect-plant interactions.