Use of Plant Leaf in Biosensing for Some Odour Compounds

The sensing of odour compounds in gas phase is an attractive target in recent sensor technology. Based on the finding that a plant leaf can respond to various gas molecules by changing its potential, biosensing system using a plant leaf has been investigated for the detection of odour compounds. A leaf of some plant species responded to odour compounds directly by changing its potential $5{\sim}10\;mV$. That the leaf was actually sensing an odour was much more remarkably detected from the difference between the response profile to pure $CO_2$ gas and that to $CO_2$ gas containing odour compounds. Then the quantitative study (ppb level) is now being performed on the response of a tobacco leaf to benzyl acetate; a component of jasminelike odours. The concept of biosensing and its significance are also described from the viewpoint of sensor technology.