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Research Project: Health-Promoting Bioactives and Biobased Pesticides from Medicinal and Herbal Crops

Location: Natural Products Utilization Research

Title: Identification and characterization of biopesticides from Acorus Tatarinowii and A. Calamus

Author
item CHEN, YUYAN - Hunan University Of Science And Technology
item LI, JUAN - Hunan University Of Chinese Medicine
item LI, SHUN XIANG - Hunan University Of Chinese Medicine
item ZHAO, JIANPING - University Of Mississippi
item Bernier, Ulrich
item Becnel, James
item Agramonte, Natasha
item Duke, Stephen
item Cantrell, Charles
item Wedge, David

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Symposium Series
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/10/2016
Publication Date: 8/25/2016
Citation: Chen, Y., Li, J., Li, S., Zhao, J., Bernier, U.R., Becnel, J.J., Agramonte, N.M., Duke, S.O., Cantrell, C.L., Wedge, D.E. 2016. Identification and characterization of biopesticides from Acorus Tatarinowii and A. Calamus. American Chemical Society Symposium Series. 1218:121-143.

Interpretive Summary: This paper documents the investigation of essential oils of two selected Acorus species used commonly in Traditional Chinese Medicine and describes their antifungal, mosquito larvicidal, and adult mosquito biting deterrent activities. Eleven compounds and essential oils were evaluated for their antifungal activity against plant pathogens, toxicity against mosquito larvae, mosquito repellent activity and phytotoxicity. Several compounds and essential oils showed some activity in these bioassays. Most active compounds or mixtures of compounds from Acorus species may lead to the new potential biopesticides.

Technical Abstract: Acorus species are rich in secondary compounds and possess high contents of essential oils in their rhizomes. Here we report the isolation, characterization and antifungal activity of eleven compounds from A. tatarinowii Schott. and A. calamus Linn. Five of the compounds had weak antifungal activity against the plant pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum, C. fragariae and C. gloeosporioides. The essential oils were more active as mosquito larvacides than any of the isolated compounds with 100% mortality at 31.25 ppm. Isocalamusenone was more active at a dose of 0.78 ug as an adult insecticide than the essential oils or other purified compounds. A. tatarinowii essential oil was a good mosquito repellent. Several of the compounds were moderately phytotoxic to bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifer) and duckweed (Lemna paucicostata), but not to lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Results indicated that compounds or mixtures of compounds from Acorus species may yield new biopesticide leads.