Isolation of compounds attractive to the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa forel (hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Mabea fistulifera elaiosome
Mabea fistulifera (Euphorbiaceae)is a pioneer plant species with seeds dispersed by the ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Since the ants are attracted to the seeds to use its elaiosome as a source of energy, we investigated its composition. The elaiosomes from 13,000 seeds were extracted with a methanol:chloroform mixture (2:1 v/v) and yielded 22% of a residue. This residue was fractionated by column chromatography and its composition determined by infrared spectroscopy and chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The elaiosome lipids are constituted mainly by free fatty acids, triacylglycerols and minor quantities of monoacylglycerols or diacylglycerols.
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedade Brasileira de Química
2008
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| Online Access: | http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-40422008000300002 |
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