Comparison of the scent components emitted from lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and American lotus (N. lutea) flowers

The scent of the lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) flower has been described as slightly phenolic, fresh, and sweet, whereas that of the American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) flower has been described as sweet, creamy vanilla-like.
However, only few reports on scent measurements of the lotus and American lotus in Japan exist.
Therefore, here, the scent compounds emitted from the flowers of the lotus, American lotus, and a hybrid of the two species were compared.
Two wild-type species (‘Ogahasu’ and ‘Gyodahasu’) and five cultivars (‘Maiyoren’, ‘Yozankoren’, ‘Yodohime’, ‘Kasupikamu’ and ‘Kindaikashu’) of lotus, three wild-type species of American lotus (‘Yellow lotus’, ‘Virginia lotus’ and ‘American yellow’), and one hybrid cultivar, ‘Ryokuchi Bijin’ (RB) underwent measurement of scent components using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The adsorbent (MonoTrap™) was placed on the flowers on the second day of flowering.
The entire flower was covered with a plastic bag and left for 1 h in the field.
Sampling was conducted between 6:30 and 8:30 am from July 29 to August 15, 2022. GC/MS analysis revealed 93 volatiles common between the lotus and American lotus flowers.
The volatiles were classified using a two-way hierarchical clustering analysis.
The lotus species were classified into a cluster, and American lotus species and ‘Ryokuchi Bijin’ (RB) hybrid were classified into another cluster.
The aroma compounds characteristic of flowers of the lotus species were p-cymenene, -terpinene, -myrcene, D-limonene, -terpinene, and -pinene, the contents of which were low in the American lotus species and RB hybrid.
The lotus flowers of ‘Kasupikamu’, ‘Kindaikashu’ and ‘Ogahasu’ contained lower amounts of volatiles including allo-ocimene, linalool, -copaene, and -caryophyllene, as did the American lotus species.
The aroma compounds characteristic of flowers of the American lotus species were benzaldehyde, -cyclocitral, anisaldehyde, elemicin, and methyl anisate.
The traits related to aroma in the RB hybrid flowers were more characteristic of the flowers of the American lotus species than those of the lotus species.

IV Asian Horticultural Congress – AHC2023

Y. Ishikawa, F. Tanaka, N. Oyama-Okubo, C. Honda

flower, GC-MS, Nelumbo lutea, Nelumbo nucifera, scent compound

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2024.1404.121