Antifeedant activity of ethanolic extract from Flourensia oolepis and isolation of pinocembrin as its active principle compound

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2009-07, Vol.100 (14), p.3669-3673
• Main Authors: Diaz Napal, Georgina N., Carpinella, María C., Palacios, Sara M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antifeedant; Asteraceae; Asteraceae - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; Biotechnology - methods; Epilachna; Ethanol - chemistry; Flavanones - chemistry; Flavonoids; Flourensia; Flourensia oolepis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Host-Parasite Interactions; Insecticides - chemistry; Models, Chemical; Pest Control, Biological - methods; Pinocembrin; Plant Extracts; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Oils - metabolism; Quercetin - chemistry; Spodoptera; Spodoptera frugiperda
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.02.050

The ethanolic extract from Flourensia oolepis aerial parts showed strong antifeedant activity against the pest larvae, Epilachna paenulata, with an antifeedant index (AI%) of 99.1% at 100 μg/cm 2. Based on chromatographic fractionation of the extract, guided by bioassays on E. paenulata, the flavanone pinocembrin ( 1) was isolated as the most active principle. In a choice assay, compound 1 showed strong antifeedant activity against E. paenulata, Xanthogaleruca luteola and Spodoptera frugiperda with an AI% of 90, 94 and 91% ( p < 0.01) respectively, at 50 μg/cm 2. The dosages necessary for 50% feeding inhibition of the insects (ED 50) were 7.98, 6.13 and 8.86 μg/cm 2, respectively. The feeding inhibitory activity of 1 against E. paenulata was compared with the activity of other structurally related flavonoids like naringenin, which was inactive up to 100 μg/cm 2, catechin which was nearly 6 times less active than 1, and quercetin which was equally active as 1. The effect of these on the feeding behavior of E. paenulata was also studied.