2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Search for semiochemicals of honeybee (Apis mellifera)

Research Project

Project/Area Number	20510208
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Living organism molecular science
Research Institution	Setsunan University
Principal Investigator	NODA Naoki Setsunan University, 薬学部, 教授 (40180749)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	NAKATANI Takafumi 摂南大学, 薬学部, 講師 (10340861) KODAI Tetsuya 摂南大学, 薬学部, 助教 (70548891)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha)	NAKAMURA Jyun 玉川大学, ミツバチ科学研究センター, 教授 (30256002)
Project Period (FY)	2008 – 2010
Keywords	天然有機化学
Research Abstract	This study was undertaken to search for semiochemicals, which have various important functions and roles for caste maintenance in honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera). Rather than looking for semiochemicals in the mandibular glands of the queen bee, this study involves the search for precursors of pheromones from large quantities of royal jelly. Seven chiral hydroxy fatty acids were isolated. Interestingly enough, except for 3-hydroxyl fatty acid, all chiral acids are present in royal jelly as optical isomers. Considering the relationship between 9-ODA and 9-HDA, it is expected that these chiral acids are precursors of semiochemicals, and that their corresponding oxo-forms may play physiologically important functions and roles in the hierarchy of honeybee colonies. The biological activities of these compounds will be examined.