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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Electrophysiological Recording from Drosophila Trichoid Sensilla in Response to Odorants of Low Volatility
Published on: July 27, 2017
(S)-2-pentyl (R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate, a banana volatile and its olfactory recognition by the common fruit fly,
Jeffrey Mowat1, Regine Gries, Grigori Khaskin
1Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
Abstract:
The volatile organic compounds emitted from ripening bananas that elicit an antennal response from the common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, were analyzed by a combination of gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection, mass spectrometry, and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. These analyses revealed that the headspace of ripening bananas contains a number of EAD-active components including the new ester (S)-2-pentyl (R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate, the structural assignment of which was confirmed by chemical synthesis.
