This study presents the first complete analysis of the chemical composition of the flowers of the species N. fragrans and N. microchila. The compounds were extracted via distillation and simultaneous extraction and analysed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. A total of 82 compounds were identified and the results reveal significant differences in the abundance of compounds between the species. While N. fragrans has eugenol as its majority compound, N. microchila exhibits high concentrations of (E)-β-farnesene. In addition, remarkable concentrations of secondary compounds such as methyl-eugenol, β-bisabolene, germacrene D, 1-octadecene, hexadecyl acetate and ipsdienol were observed and are demonstrably related to the processes of attraction of pollinators, such as euglossine bees, by Orchidaceae. The findings of the study offer valuable insights into the ecology and reproductive biology of the species studied, and also present taxonomic potential for the phytochemical data.
Keywords: Orchids; natural products; phytochemistry; volatile compounds.