Excito-repellent and Pesticide-likeness properties of essential oils on Carpophilus dimidiatus (Fabricius) (Nitidulidae) and Oryzaephilus mercator (L.) (Silvanidae)

COMELLI, NIEVES C.; DIEZ, PATRICIA A.; RODRIGUEZ, MARIA R.; DENETT, GABRIEL O.; LOPEZ, TAMARA E.; BRACAMONTE, DANIELA M.; ORTIZ, ERLINDA DEL V.; SAMPIETRO, DIEGO A.; DUCHOWICZ, PABLO R.

JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL INFORMATION AND MODELING

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2023

1549-9596

Carpophilus dimidiatus (Fabricius) (Nitidulidae) and Oryzaephilus mercator (L.) (Silvanidae) are insect pests that cause severe damage in important walnut growing regions from the northwest of Argentina. The current management approaches for these pests involve the use of unsafe phosphorus pesticides whose overuse have led to farmworkers poisoning, pest resistance issues and environmental contamination. Plant extracts, particularly essential oils, are an alternative source of insect control agents. Excito-repellent essential oils can be used to develop ecofriendly tools for managing the pest population without affecting quality and visual appearance of the stored walnuts.Laboratory studies were conducted to assess the excito-repellent effects of C. dimidiatus and O. mercator of twelve essential oils derived from aromatic plants used as food additives and traditional medicine in Argentina: Aloysia citrodora (AC), Aloysia gratissima (AG), Aloysia gratissima var. Gratissima (AGG), Blepharocalyx salicipholius (BS), Hyptis mutabilis.(HM), Lippia junelliana (LJ), Lippia turbinata (LT), Mentha x piperita (MP), Minthostachys mollis (MM), Minthostachys verticillata (MV), Origanum vulgare(OV), Rosmarinus officinalis (RO). The most bioactive EOs (ERijk70%) were Aloysia gratissima var. Gratissima (AGG), Minthostachys verticillata and Lippia junelliana. Their chemical space and bioactivity profile, characterized from GC-MS measures, Generalized Estimating Equations and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, revealed that they are mixtures of very functionalized molecules with physicochemical properties similar to those of insecticides with low residual property that enter the insect body through the respiratory system by inhalation. The AGG, MV and LJ oils are promising as protective agent of walnut products. In our laboratory, studies on their formulations for use in integrated pest management programs are still ongoing.