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Title: ANTIFEEDANT AND TOXICITY EFFECT OF THIOPHENES FROM FOUR ECHINOPS SPECIES AGAINST THE FORMOSAN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE, COPTOTERMES FORMOSANUS

Author
item FOKIALAKIS, NIKOLAS - UNIV. OF ATHENS, GREECE
item Osbrink, Weste
item MAMONOV, LEONID - INST. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
item GEMEJIEVA, NADEJDA - INST. BOTANY/PHYTOINTRO.
item Mims, Amelia
item SKALTSOUNIS, ALEXIOS - UNIV. OF ATHENS, GREECE
item Lax, Alan
item Cantrell, Charles

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2006
Publication Date: 6/22/2006
Citation: Fokialakis, N., Osbrink, W.L., Mamonov, L.K., Gemejieva, N.G., Mims, A.B., Skaltsounis, A.L., Lax, A.R., Cantrell, C.L. 2006. Antifeedant and toxicity effect of thiophenes from four echinops species against the formosan subterranean termite, coptotermes formosanus. Pest Management Science. 62:832-838.

Interpretive Summary: Over two-hundred and twenty crude extracts from repositories generated from plants native to Greece and Kazakhstan were evaluated for termiticidal activity against the Formosan subterranean termite. Emerging from this screening effort were bioactive extracts from two Greek and two Kazakhstan plants all from the genus Echinops known for the "Globe Thistle". Many natural compounds known as thiophenes were isolated from these four plants. All isolated compounds were shown to be toxic against the Formosan subterranean termite.

Technical Abstract: Over two-hundred and twenty crude extracts from repositories generated from plants native to Greece and Kazakhstan were evaluated for termiticidal activity against the Formosan subterranean termite species, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Emerging from this screening effort were bioactive extracts from two Greek species (Echinops ritro and Echinops spinosissimus subsp. spinosissimus) and extracts from two Kazakhstan species (Echinops albicaulis and Echinops transiliensis). Fractionation and isolation of constituents from the most active extracts from each of the four species has been completed resulting in the isolation of eight thiophenes possessing varying degrees of termiticidal activity. a-terthienyl (1) and 5'-(3-buten-1-ynyl)-2,2'-bithiophen (4) demonstrated 100 ± 0 percent mortality against C. formosanus within 9 days at 1 and 2 percent (wt/wt) concentrations, respectively. Additionally, all but two of the compounds tested were significantly different from the solvent controls in the filter paper consumption bioassay.