Essential oil of Tagetes filifolia against the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum and its relation to acetylcholinesterase activity and lipid peroxidation

OLMEDO, R.; J.M. HERRERA,; E.I. LUCINI; M. P. ZUNINO; R.P. PIZZOLITTO,; J.S. DAMBOLENA; J.A. ZYGADLO

Agriscientia

Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias

Año: 2015 vol. 32

The development of natural insecticides would help to decrease the negativeimpact of synthetic insecticides. Fumigant toxicity of essential oil of Tagetesfilifolia Lag (Asterales: Asteraceae) and its major compounds were evaluatedagainst Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Theessential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography?mass spectrometry. Theessential oil and (E)-anethole were the most toxic at 24 h against adult insects(CL50= 2.4 y 2.6 μL/mL water, respectively). Changes in the products of lipidperoxidation were evidenced by an increase in malondialdehyde content.Acetylcholinesterase activity in vitro, of T. castaneum adults, was also reported.(E)-anethole and estragole showed similar acetylcholinesterase inhibition (54and 63%, respectively at 5 mM). The present study constitutes one of the firstcontributions to understanding the relationship between the insecticidal actionof essential oil and oxidative stress.Keywords: fumigant toxicity, Tagetes filifolia, Tribolium castaneum, lipidperoxidation, acetylcholinesterase activity.