First identification of methyl benzoate and methyl salicylate as major volatile compounds in the floral scent of alstroemeria

Alstroemeria genus is native to South America with Chile and Brazil as the main diversity centers. Through the application of several breeding techniques, many cultivars have been developed and nowadays alstroemeria is one of the most important products in the ornamental plant market. Cultivation and aesthetic characters have been improved by breeders, but little attention has been focused on floral scent. In order to characterize the floral scent of several hybrids coming from the Alstroemeria Breeding Program of the University of Chile, sensorial analysis was applied to identify two scented hybrids. GC-MS analysis detected 19 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as part of the floral scent of one scented hybrid (UCH13), while 16 VOCs were detected in the other scented hybrid (UCH14). Although these scented hybrids showed similar VOCs, including two esters and several monoterpenes, important differences in concentration were observed. For the first time, two esters (methyl benzoate and methyl salicylate) were detected in the floral scent of alstroemeria since several previous studies reported only monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes as the major VOCs in this genus. Thus, in one of the scented hybrids (UCH13) methyl benzoate (15.3%) and methyl salicylate (59.9%) were the major compounds. On the other hand, these esters accounted for the 27.56% of the total VOCs in the scented hybrid UCH14. This important result could lead to a new research line focused on the assessment of these esters detected and their contribution to the floral scent of alstroemeria, as an important character for the ornamental plant market.