Biopesticidal potential and phytochemical composition of Pastinaca hirsuta Pančić essential oil from Bulgaria

• Published in: Industrial crops and products 2024-10, Vol.217, p.118843, Article 118843
• Main Authors: Semerdjieva, Ivanka, Piperkova, Neshka, Maneva, Vasilina, Dincheva, Ivayla, Zheljazkov, Valtcho D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acetates; Albania; Balkan endemic; Biopesticide; biopesticides; Botrytis cinerea; Bulgaria; butyrates; chemical constituents of plants; Colletotrichum; crops; essential oils; family; flora; Fusarium; Greece; ingredients; insecticidal properties; monoterpenoids; New crop; Pastinaca; Rhopalosiphum padi; Serbia
• ISSN: 0926-6690; 1872-633X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2024.118843

Pastinaca hirsuta Pančić, Apiaceae family, is a Balkan endemic, found only in the flora of Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, and Greece. Because P. hirsuta has restricted distribution, it has been scarcely studied, leading to a paucity of data on its characteristics and properties. This preliminary study evaluated the essential oil (EO) profile of P. hirsuta distributed in the Bulgarian flora and its potential as biopesticide. Overall, 76 EO compounds were found in P. hirsuta EO from plants collected at two locations in Bulgaria. At the first location, esters were the predominant group, constituting (65.45%) of the EO, where n-octyl butyrate (46.47%) and n-hexyl butanoate (15.97%) were the major individual constituents. In contrast, samples from the second location exhibited a varied composition, where monoterpenes and monoterpenoids varied significantly between inflorescences (59.49%), whole plant (51.16%), and seeds (52.49%). Neryl acetate was the most abundant constituent in inflorescences EO (24.95%), whole plant EO (28.41%), and seeds EO (15.92%). Tetrahydro-lavandulol acetate was a major constituent in inflorescences EO (13.39%) and seeds EO (10.58%). The potential of EO of P. hirsuta as biofungicide was investigated against three important postharvest plant pathogens; Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum sp., and Fusarium sp. The tested P. hirsuta EO showed significant antifungal potency against Colletotrichum sp. (67.79%). In addition, the tested P. hirsuta EO at concentrations 5%, 4.5%, 3.5%, 2.5%, 1.5%, and 1% showed considerable insecticidal activity against Rhopalosiphum padi. Pastinaca hirsuta shows promise as a potential new crop species and its EO exhibited potential as ingredient in antifungal or insecticidal products. [Display omitted] •Pastinaca hirsuta is a Balkan endemic found in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia.•Pastinaca hirsuta from Bulgaria was investigated for the first time.•The essential oil had substantial diversity and strong insecticidal activity.•Pastinaca hirsuta essential oil has potential as a biopesticide.