Chemical Composition and Insecticidal Activity of Crithmum Maritimum L. Essential Oil against Stored‐Product Beetle Tribolium Castaneum

Several plant essential oils have been used against diverse insect pests since, unlike conventional pesticides, they pose almost no risk to humans and the environment. For this reason, the essential oil (EO) isolated from the fresh leaves of Crithmum maritimum L. and its fractions (F₁–F₅) obtained by chromatographic simplification were investigated for their chemical profile, as well as for their toxicity and repellency effects against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst ) adults. The analysis by GC/MS allowed the identification of 92.8–99.1 % of the compositions of the total oil (EO) and of its fractions (F₁–F₅). The EO and its fractions F₃–F₅ were characterized by the presence of a high amount of phenylpropanoids (94.4, 94.8, 93.6, and 88.7 %, respectively): in all the samples, dill apiole was the most abundant component (EO: 94.1 %, F₃: 94.6 %, F₄: 93.4 %, and F₅: 83.3 %). In addition, the repellency assay results showed that the volatile fraction F₅ and the complete EO exhibited a higher repellency towards T. castaneum (97 % and 93 %, respectively) after 2 h of exposure at the dose of 0.04 μL/cm². The median lethal dose of the topical application of the EO was 9 %. Furthermore, the fraction F₁ possessed interesting contact toxicity against T. castaneum (80 % of mortality) at the concentration of 10 %. These results suggested that the essential oil of C. maritimum leaves might be used as an alternative to synthetic insecticides in order to prevent insects from damaging the stored products.     

Affinity to the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor and Insecticidal Activity of Chiral Imidacloprid Derivatives with a Methylated Imidazolidine Ring

Four imidacloprid derivatives with an asymmetrically methylated imidazolidine ring were synthesized. Their affinity to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of housefly Musca domestica and insecticidal activity against the housefly were measured. The compound with a 5R-methylated imidazolidine ring demonstrated intrinsic activity comparable to that of the unsubstituted compound. Most of the compounds were synergized by oxygenase inhibitors.     

Crystal structure of a Vip3B family insecticidal protein reveals a new fold and a unique tetrameric assembly

Vegetatively expressed insecticidal proteins (VIPs) produced by Bacillus thuringiensis fall into several classes of which the third, VIP3, is known for their activity against several key Lepidopteran pests of commercial broad acre crops and because their mode of action does not overlap with that of crystalline insecticidal proteins. The details of the VIP3 structure and mode of action have remained obscure for the quarter century that has passed since their discovery. In the present article, we report the first crystal structure of a full‐length VIP3 protein. Crystallization of this target required multiple rounds of construct optimization and screening—over 200 individual sequences were expressed and tested. This protein adopts a novel global fold that combines domains with hitherto unreported topology and containing elements seemingly borrowed from carbohydrate‐binding domains, lectins, or from other insecticidal proteins.     

拟黄花乌头中生物碱的杀虫活性研究

为探索拟黄花乌头 Aconitum anthoroideum DC. 作为生物农药的应用价值,以拟黄花乌头整株为研究对象,在活性跟踪的基础上,综合应用硅胶柱层析、ODS、Sephadex LH-20等方法对拟黄花乌头甲醇粗提物进行分离纯化,从中分离得到了4个生物碱类化合物,分别为4-hydroxynicotinic acid methyl ester (1)、Ranaconitine (2)、Lappaconitine (3)、13-hydroxylappaconitine (4),其中4-hydroxynicotinic acid methyl ester为首次从天然产物中分离得到。采用点滴法测定4个化合物对褐飞虱 Nilaparvata lugens Stal和白背飞虱Sogatella furcifera Horvath的触杀活性,结果表明4种化合物对褐飞虱和白背飞虱具有显著的触杀活性,处理后48 h的LD50 分别为0.26~0.38 μg/头、0.25~0.33 μg/头。研究结果为进一步研究拟黄花乌头中的杀虫活性成分提供基础数据。     

呋虫胺对红火蚁工蚁的毒杀活性及行为影响

本文研究呋虫胺对红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren中型工蚁的毒杀活性及爬杆能力、抓附能力、行走能力、攻击能力等行为影响。以水试管喂毒法对红火蚁进行试验。结果表明,1 mg/L和5 mg/L呋虫胺处理13 h后,红火蚁中型工蚁校正死亡率分别为55.56%、97.78%,0 mg/L、1 mg/L和5 mg/L呋虫胺处理9 h后,红火蚁中型工蚁爬杆率分别为100.00%、45.56%和7.78%,抓附率分别为100.00%、33.33%和15.56%,行走率为100.00%、42.22%和25.56%,攻击率为100.00%、36.67%和0.00%。呋虫胺对红火蚁中型工蚁具有良好毒杀活性和行为影响,在红火蚁防控上具有良好应用前景。     

Role of MAPK p38 in the cellular responses to pore-forming toxins

Understanding the mechanism of action of pore-forming toxins (PFTs) produced by different bacteria, as well as the host responses to toxin action, would provide ways to deal with these pathogenic bacteria. PFTs affect the permeability of target cells by forming pores in their plasma membrane. Target organisms may overcome these effects by triggering intracellular responses that have evolved as defense mechanisms to PFT. Among them it is well documented that stress-activated protein kinases, and specially MAPK p38 pathway, play a crucial role triggering defense responses to several PFTs in different eukaryotic cells. In this review we describe different intracellular effects induced by PFTs in eukaryotic cells and highlight diverse responses activated by p38 pathway.     

小桐子果壳提取物杀虫活性的生物测定

以水、乙醇、正丁醇、乙酸乙酯、氯仿和石油醚为溶剂,采用冷浸法对小桐子果壳进行粗提,并分别测定各粗提物对豌豆长管蚜和菜青虫的毒力,从中筛选出毒力最强的粗提物进一步对菜青虫进行作用方式的测定.6种溶剂粗提物对豌豆长管蚜和菜青虫的毒力测试结果表明:三氯甲烷提取物和乙醇提取物的活性显著高于其它溶剂提取物,且两种提取物对豌豆长管...     

Effect of different additives on the persistence and insecticidal activity of native strains of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus thuringiensis</Emphasis>

The persistence and insecticidal activity of native strains of Bacillus thuringiensis was evaluated in formulations containing different additives such as arrow-root powder, carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC), gum acacia, non-food grade (NFG) starch, and soluble starch. Persistence of B. thuringiensis varied with different additives used in the formulations. Among the different additives used, NFG starch provided maximum protection to B. thuringiensis and native strain 42 showed maximum persistence (83%) which was higher than that obtained in commercial formulation. In commercial formulation, the persistence of B. thuringiensis was 47% only after 3 d of spray. The feeding trials conducted on second instar larvae of H. armigera using leaves sprayed with NFG starch formulation revealed 70% larval mortality while commercial formulation showed 50% mortality during the same period.     

Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3 mutant proteins: Insecticidal activity and trypsin sensitivity

Vip3 is a novel insect toxin isolated from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and could be used as an alternative toxin for Bt δ-endotoxins for transgenic insect control. Vip3 mutants with deletion, addition or mutations at the very end of the C-terminus were generated. The deletion and addition of a few amino acid residues at the C-terminus totally abolished the insecticidal activity. The mutation of the last two residues from IK to LG also resulted in the total loss of its insecticidal activity; however, the mutation from IK to LR increased its activity substantially against beet armyworm. Interestingly, all the inactive mutants were found to be highly sensitive to trypsin digestion, while the active mutant generated a trypsin-resistant polypeptide of 62-kDa upon trypsin digestion. However, this 62-kDa polypeptide expressed in E. coli from the 5' end truncated vip3 gene was biologically inactive and sensitive to trypsin digestion. Thus, the N-terminal part of the protein is required to form the 62-kDa trypsin resistant core. This study suggested that the 62-kDa peptide core could be a hallmark of active insecticidal Vip3 proteins.     

砂地柏中6种萜烯类化合物分离鉴定及其杀虫活性研究

为研究砂地柏杀虫化学成分特征,采用活性示踪法,从砂地柏果实乙醇提取物中分离鉴定出6种萜烯类化合物:4-表-松香醛(1)、7,13-松香二烯-3-酮(2)、4-表-松香醇(3)、日本扁柏酮(4)、β-谷甾醇(5)和豆甾醇(6),其中日本扁柏酮是从砂地柏中首次分离得到.以砂地柏中另2种主要杀虫活性成分鬼臼毒素和脱氧鬼臼毒素为对照品,采用小叶碟添加法和浸叶法分别测试了上述化合物对粘虫(Mythimna separata)幼虫的拒食活性和对菜青虫(Pieris rapae)的毒杀活性.结果表明,2种木脂素类化合物鬼臼毒素和脱氧鬼臼毒素的活性高于本研究得到的6种化合物,其中4种二萜类化合物的活性高于2种甾醇三萜类化合物;4种二萜类化合物的活性差异较大,其中4-表-松香醇和7,13-松香二烯-3-酮对粘虫幼虫的拒食活性较高,其48 h AFC50分别为2.92和3.02mg·mL-1,7,13-松香二烯-3-酮对菜青虫毒杀活性较高,其48h LC50为3.40mg·mL-1.所得到的4-表-松香醇和日本扁柏酮2种化合物的杀虫活性为首次报道.