花蜜主要成分是糖,，是植物誘導(dǎo)動(dòng)物為其傳粉的重要物質(zhì),。但是,，大量研究發(fā)現(xiàn)花蜜中普遍存在著一些與植物抗蟲(chóng)有關(guān)的次生代謝物質(zhì),，并阻止了一些訪花者拜訪花朵。
最近,，西雙版納熱帶植物園化學(xué)生態(tài)研究組,、植物關(guān)系研究組和 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute 的科研人員聯(lián)合研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，花蜜中的這些物質(zhì)在濃度比較低的情況下,，能夠增加蜜蜂對(duì)糖的需求,，從而促進(jìn)蜜蜂拜訪花朵，為這些植物提供更多的傳粉機(jī)會(huì),。當(dāng)這些物質(zhì)濃度較高的時(shí)候,，才阻止訪花者采集花蜜。因此,，花蜜中次生代謝物質(zhì)在幫助植物調(diào)節(jié)與傳粉者之間關(guān)系方面起著重要的作用,。
該研究結(jié)果最近已公開(kāi)發(fā)表于 Functional Ecology 2007年21卷96-100頁(yè)。
部分英文原文：
Adaptive functions of defensive plant phenolics and a non-linear bee response to nectar components
F. LIU * J. CHEN * J. CHAI ‡X. ZHANG ‡ X. BAI ‡ D. HE * and D. ROUBIK §†
*Kunming Division, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, ‡Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Mengzi 661101, P. R. China, and §Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Unit 0948, APO AA 34002-0948, USA
Summary
1. Secondary compounds such as phenolics, usually present in floral nectar, may act in combination with sugar components to influence the evolution of pollination mutualism.
2. Previous work on the significance of secondary compounds in nectar considers honey bee responses to those compounds alone, but neglects sugar. Our experiments demonstrated that phenolic sugar syrups were attractants to free-flying Asian Apis cerana Fab. when sugar concentrations were 15–35%, but were deterrents below or above this range.
3. Synergism between nectar phenolics and sugar may thus provide a novel mechanism for plants to encourage pollinating bees and reduce energy investment in nectar, operating as exaptations by co-opting defence mechanisms against herbivores.
英文原文鏈接：http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2006.01200.x
