Metabolic response to larval herbivory in three species.

The genus includes species of commercial importance due to their ornamental, edible and medicinal properties. These qualities stem from their variety of biologically active compounds. We performed a metabolomic analysis of three species, i.e., , and , differing in domestication stage and cultivation practices, to determine the degree of inter-species metabolite variation and to test the hypothesis that these related species mount a common metabolomic response to foliar damage caused by larvae. The results indicated that the metabolomic differences detected in the leaves of these species were species-specific and remained even after herbivory. They also show that each species displayed a unique response to insect herbivory. This study highlighted the metabolite variation present in spp. and the persistence of this variability when faced with biotic stressors. Furthermore, it sets an experimental precedent from which highly species-specific metabolites could be identified and subsequently used for plant breeding programs designed to increase insect resistance in and related plant species.